About the Book:
After a son does the unthinkable, how can a mother go on?
On October 2, 2006, a gunman entered an Amish one-room schoolhouse, shooting ten girls, killing five, then finally taking his own life. This is his mother's story. Not only did she lose her precious son through suicide, but she also lost her understanding of him as an honorable man. It was a trauma that none should ever have to face.
But the biggest headlines came when her Amish neighbors did the unimaginable, reaching out to the family of the shooter with comfort and forgiveness. Today Terri lives in harmony with the Amish and has built lasting relationships beyond what anyone could have thought possible. From the grace that the Amish showed Terri's family from day one, to the visits and ongoing care Terri has given to the victims and their families, no one could have foreseen the love and friendship that have been forged from the fires of tragedy.
My Thoughts:
“It was a moment of
sudden, healing clarity for me.
Forgiveness is a choice.” (p.
130)
Terri Roberts received this profound truth as parents who had
lost two children in the Nickel Mines’ shooting – perpetrated by her son –
offered condolences to her at her son’s funeral. This entire story chronicles some very brutal
and critical relationship choices that Terri had to face time and time again
following the consequences of son’s choice to take the life of innocent Amish
children. She briefly chronicles both
her life and the life of her son up to that fateful day in 2007, and gives
poignant context to this tragedy. She
also chronicles the unbelievable relationships and traditions that were birthed
from this tragedy. In short, you cannot
read this book and NOT be challenged to look to your own heart to ferret out
any unforgiveness.
I cannot begin to fathom Terri’s experience. However, God has allowed this book to
intersect my life at a point where I was led to forgive the end of my 22 year
marriage. Infidelity was the fatal
bullet to the heart of my marriage, and forgiveness has taken four years of
hard work and obedience to God’s gentle leading. But I can echo Terri with a hearty AMEN! There is nothing as freeing as forgiveness!!
Nothing!! I revel in God’s tender timing of this book’s release and how it
coincided so beautifully with my own deliverance from unforgiveness! PRAISE THE LORD INDEED!!
I HIGHLY recommend this book to everyone, but if you know
someone whose life has been touched by tragedy, ask God to direct you to a
moment where you can introduce this precious, healing book into their
circumstances!
About the Author:
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