Book excerpt: “Ben shows that the black keys of wistfulness and sorrow can make music every bit as beautiful as the white keys. These pages will train your ears to hear heaven’s music once again.” —Jeremy Camp, Gold-charting singer and subject of the movie I Still Believe “With depth and clarity, Ben draws on his personal experience to offer you the practical tools and the courage you need to retaliate against the weight of darkness and walk forward in freedom.” —Levi Lusko, pastor and bestselling author Ben Courson’s mission is to inject hope into a generation plagued by anxiety and despair. In this follow up to Optimisfits, he shares his own battles with depression, PTSD, and personal tragedy—and how that turmoil came to fuel his unabashed optimism and unshakable confidence in God’s ability to heal. In Flirting with Darkness, Ben encourages you to not accept depression as a permanent state, but instead turn to the One who will champion your every struggle. He offers up the tools that helped him cling to God during his darkest moments, helping you discover how… prayer can transform your spirit and turn your pain into joy shifting your focus from your problems to God’s promises allows you to recognize your purpose finding a tribe in friends and family will help you move beyond loneliness counseling and medication can be important parts of God’s plan for your deliverance from mental illness If you feel weighed down by despair, the childlike wonder and biblical insights in Flirting with Darkness will help you glimpse beyond your current pain to see the light in your own story.