Forgiving The Impossible

Are some things just too difficult to forgive? Like child abuse at the hands of a trusted family friend? Greta Randle's story [in this new book] shows us that forgiveness is not only possible, but that it is hugely liberating for the victim.

'My healing would only have been partial without God's intervention,' she says. 'Self-help, counselling and reading have all played a part but nothing can take the place that God occupied within the whole process. He spoke to me through the Bible, used his people to pray with me. He was constant.'

'Some may ask, "Why does God allow these things?" It is my perception that it hurts God to know that the people he created allow themselves to do "these things". It was never his wish for me to be damaged as a child but he is able to redeem every situation.'

This frank and open autobiography covers Greta?s childhood and period of sexual abuse, as well as how she addressed the issue as an adult. It is well written and a good read. It keeps a nice balance between fact, feelings and occasional commentaries on what was actually going on.

Greta Randle is the Chief Executive of the Association of Christian Counsellors and has spoken openly about her abuse and why she believes so much in making Counselling good, accessible and effective. The importance in her own life of close, confiding relationships as well as a period of counselling are explored.

In this book however, she also deals with some of the side issues that can be overlooked - when to tell your story, how to tell your story and why you are telling this. She also looks at the response of friends, family and church. Forgiveness is hard but not impossible, and the court case when her abuser was convicted is described helpfully. But Greta waited until her abuser was dead before telling this tale, because true forgiveness [as RT Kendall would say who wrote the foreword] is before God and is not about retaliation or an attempt to shame.

ISBN: 1844744337
Direct Amazon Link
Greta Randle, 16/04/2010
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