Shackled for Life by Shelia E. Lipsey
Molestation, sexual assault, mental abuse, emotional abuse, rape-all subjects that many of us hate to talk about. We don’t want to think about it; we don’t want to say the words. We certainly don’t want to discuss it over dinner. But when is enough enough? When can it be brought out in the open? Why do some people blame the victim as if it’s their fault for being violated?
I know the subject is tender. It’s heart wrenching to hear about especially if it’s happened to someone you loved, or worse – if it’s happened to you. In the first book of My Son’s Wife trilogy, Francesca Graham has been shackled for life mentally, emotionally and physically because of the dirty secrets she has carried around since childhood – that of being molested and sexually assaulted. Because of what happened in her life, Francesca reinvents herself into a person that is not liked by many, judged by all and condemned by the church, including her own mother. Life is like that sometimes. There are people walking around every day in this world who are shackled for life because of the evil actions of another individual forced upon them. Because of their hurt whether physically or mentally, the victims often feel ostracized and unable to deal with what has happened because they are too afraid to bring it up for fear of being looked down upon.
In My Son’s Ex-Wife: The Aftermath, and the second book in the My Son’s Wife trilogy, Francesca Graham still lives with the pain of her past in more ways than one. Yet, Francesca, like many abused people tries to live her life in spite of the damage that was inflicted on her life.
Many victims don’t make it. They end up doing to others what was done to them. Some people in the church seem to believe that it’s something that can be ‘shaken off’ and a person can just forgive and forget. But it’s not that simple. God understands the hurt and the pain. I believe God understands that it takes time for healing to take place in a victim’s life. It takes time to regain strength to move forward. It takes time for the shackles that have been placed around the victim’s life to be released. What choices will Francesca Graham make as she tries hard to deal with her hurtful past? Will she find the strength to move forward like some victims of sexual assault manage to do, or will she continue to be shackled by hurt and heartache over her life like still some other victims do?
It’s not always easy being the person you are, and when you have been victimized and criticized and judged because of something that was not your fault, it makes it even harder for the shackles to be released. It takes love and understanding. It takes compassion and acceptance. It takes the love of God to bring forth deliverance.
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Read Author Shelia E. Lipsey’s second book, My Son’s Ex-Wife: The Aftermath, coming to bookstores near you and available for pre-ordering now at online e-tailers, including http://www.perfecstoriesaboutimperfectpeople.com/, bn.com, amazon.com and more.
Meet the Author
Shelia E. Lipsey is a multi-award winning Christian fiction author of four novels and one nonfiction book. Her latest Christian fiction novel, Beautiful Ugly is available nationwide. Check out the books by Shelia on Amazon today. She is the founder of The Word According to Shelia, a monthly column featured in a variety of formats and blogs online. http://www.shelialipsey.com/ Blog http://www.shelialipsey.blogspot.com/ Email: shelialipsey@yahoo.com
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