How have things been going for you lately? Are you feeling discouraged due to circumstances that seem out of your control? You’re a victim, you know. It’s true. Not a victim of circumstances. No, you are a Victim of Grace. God is accomplishing His purposes in you and through you regardless of what it going on around you. He has His heart set on you.
This is the theme of my new non-fiction book, Victim of Grace.
May I be completely honest with you? It took me almost five years to coax this true tale out of my shy soul. When I was asked to write this book I wasn’t sure I was ready to share the truths that I knew were going to spill on the pages.
You see, I’ve always hidden behind my fictional characters. I give them all the problems and watch as they work out a solution. So when the invitation came to write about my journey as a writer, a wife and a mother I knew that the fictional veil would be removed. The book would shine a spotlight on all my foibles. The vulnerability frightened me.
I pulled back.
I told my agent this was a bad idea. Someone else could write a book like this, not me. Her response was to come to my house along with the editor from the publishing house. The three of us spent the day in heart to heart conversation sharing, summarizing, outlining. These two gracious women gave the book its bones. They reminded me that for a book to touch a heart, it must come from the heart. Then they asked if I would be willing to share my heart with women who are just like me.
I said yes.
As the deadline approached I circled the project like a panther waiting for the right moment to move in and commit my everything to the page. When at last I sat down to write the words flowed. To each chapter I added the equally true tale of one of the women in the Bible. God had no qualms about putting the spotlight on their complex lives. I found comfort in that. I also found that I was a kindred spirit with each of these women in one way or another. Hannah had a dream that would not go away. Leah learned how to keep on going even though she knew her life situation wasn’t going to change. Ruth experienced God’s loving kindness in the midst of great loss. Writing this book was both humbling and exhilarating.
At last the book is ready.
I offer it to you with my whole heart and with much aloha. I have a feeling you are going to find yourself on these pages. When you do, I pray that a seed of hope will grow inside and you’ll hear your soul whispering, “Lord, Thank you for allowing me to be a Victim of Grace.”
Why does this keep happening to me?
It’s not fair.
I never asked to be treated this way.
I did nothing to deserve this.
And yet
Every moment of every day, completely unprovoked,
God pours out His love on me.
He blesses me in unexpected ways.
His mercies are new every morning.
No matter what I do I cannot stop Him.
Even in the worst situations His goodness prevails. He is relentless.
I am a victim of grace.
- From Victim of Grace by Robin Jones Gunn ©2013
Pre-order your copy of Victim of Grace now in the Online Shop. The first 200 copies purchased will include an exclusive autographed peel and stick bookplate. Pre-order now through Friday, January 25 and get $1.99 shipping (USPS ground only) on your entire order.
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