The Suffering Guy

The Title I Never Wanted

By: Jim Barnard

Narrated by: Jim Barnard

Length: 6 hrs and 32 mins

Publisher's summary

When Jim and Alisha met and started dating, there was no real indication that things would go the way they did.

In September 2006, they stood in front of their friends, family, and God and made a covenant together for life. The vows promised to love, comfort, and support each other through good and bad, joy and pain, and most importantly...sickness and health. Three months later, Alisha's health took a dramatic turn when she could no longer keep any food down. The honeymoon would take them to the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota during the middle of winter, which was the least of their problems.

Alisha was ultimately diagnosed with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome. The disease would slow her digestion down to nearly nothing and cause an abundance of other painful issues. Countless surgeries, tests, treatments, and therapies failed to solve the rapid downfall she continues to experience. Told from Jim's point of view, this book details the real struggle to find hope amid suffering. Several near-death experiences, financial ruin, and more took a severe toll on this husband as he fought to stay strong for his physically failing wife.

While having a deep faith in Jesus and His redemptive grace, Jim and Alisha battled the challenges in order to hold each others' arms up to gain victory in the Lord. A life in ministry was a significant part of that victory, as God has given them a voice in many peoples' lives and expectation gaps.

The Suffering Guy establishes an understanding of how suffering changes the world. We are all suffering guys and gals to varying degrees and at different times. Who we suffer with can make all the difference in the world.

©2021 Jim Barnard (P)2021 Jim Barnard

Great storytelling

Amazing story of a very strange chronic illness and the strength and sense of humor it takes to not only survive but to survive with grace and faith intact.

Worthy of your time

What to say about The Suffering Guy? Put simply, this is the story of Jim's family for about the first ten years or so; his marriage, the birth of his son, and principally their battle to maintain his wife Alisha's health. At the heart of this narrative is Jim's reliance on his faith to carry his family through even the most difficult of times, coming out stronger and peservering in the end. In this way the book has a lot to say about suffering, and the way we metabolize the heavier struggles which we face through life. For this alone, the book is worth the read (or in my case, listen). The Suffering Guy is not going to win any awards for it's structure or prose- but I don't believe that matters. What the book lacks in polish it more than makes up for in it's sincerity. There is a charming earnestness in Jim's account that would have been lost in the hands of a more aggressive editor. This book contains the real Jim, and I applaud that. Ultimately, I recommend The Suffering Guy both as ameans of gaining some perspective on our own lives, and as a reminder of how faith can carry us through those difficult times.

This book just let you know you are not alone no matter what!

This is a fantastic book that takes you through a painful journey. It is not preachy but it definitely opens up your eyes to how God works through the worst of situations.

Heartfelt honesty with lessons for us all

The author (Jim) takes you on a very personal journey through the heartbreaking events that he and his wife faced soon after their wedding. The book lets the reader into their lives in an unfiltered and authentic way as they deal with the expectation gaps that fill their days.


Although their life is truly unimaginable difficult Jim’s humor finds its way into many stories and at times I found myself laughing out loud. The book is narrated by the author and the authenticity comes through in every word!

At the heart of story you will find two people who suffer greatly but draw strength through God who loves them and equips them to deal with the expectation gaps in their lives.

I loved this book and I highly recommend it!