In my first book, Hidden Thorns, I related my heart-wrenching story of losing my only daughter to domestic violence and my journey from bitterness and anger to God’s sweet peace, emotional healing, and forgiveness for my daughter’s killer. But my journey didn’t stop there, and this is what this conversation is about.
Tell me: What does forgiveness mean to you?
Let’s elaborate a little more on this, shall we? Someone once said:
“To forgive is to set a prisoner free and discover the prisoner was you”.
We can all relate to that statement, can’t we? Because at some point in our lives we must deal with unforgivable sins against us or sins of our own making. Forgiveness requires radical faith and trust in Jesus Christ. It’s as simple as that but nonetheless, a hard decision to make. In all honesty, we tend to wrestle with the thought for a while before we decide what to do, don’t we?
Let me put it this way. The Lord’s Prayer in Matthew 6:14-15 ESV states:
“Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.”
Which means that if we want Jesus to forgive our sins, we must forgive others, right? And so, I did. I dropped to my knees, confessed my sin, and repented (story covered in Hidden Thorns) before I was led to forgive my daughter’s killer. By doing so and by God’s grace, the guilt I had been carrying for years suddenly left me and I was set free. It was a done deal.
How about you? Are you harbouring any guilt? Do you wish in your heart of hearts to be set free? All you need to do is talk to your Heavenly Father and it will be a done deal for you too. Why not try it? There’s nothing to lose but oh, so much to gain.
Why did I write Precious Whispers?
There was more to be told because being a victim of domestic violence stirred something in me impossible to ignore. So, I pick up my story, sharing the ongoing valuable heart lessons I continue to learn in the aftermath of loss and grief through listening to God’s still, small voice. By God’s grace, stumbling blocks along the path of cancer, additional loss of loved ones, financial setbacks, and more have become instead steppingstones to stronger faith, dependence on God, deepened prayer, and joyous contentment.
I share God’s precious whispers in my own life with the hope and prayer that my personal journey of faith, healing, forgiveness, and God’s love will help you my readers also find emotional and spiritual healing and a greater understanding of just how greatly you are loved by your heavenly Father.
My point here is that I’m not only sharing about my personal spiritual growth through seeking forgiveness and forgiving others. I’m also inviting you my readers to stand with me so that together, we can make a difference and save lives. The Aftermath is about the ongoing saga of a mother’s impossible grief, but it goes much deeper than that. Its purpose is to create an awareness about domestic violence in Australia with the aim to prevent other families going through the unbearable pain of losing a child to murder.
Too many lives are ruined by this violence and so many of these crimes could have been prevented if someone had listened and helped when victims reached out. Are you ready to listen to what God is whispering in your ear? Come and share on my blog. I’d love to hear from you.
In the meantime, be sure to secure your copy of one or both of my books because within their contents you will find valuable take-aways regardless of which season of the heart you’re in right now.
Click here to read our 2019 interview with Marie-Rose Fox
Giveaway
Who among you has a great idea about starting a movement to stop domestic violence? Go ahead and comment with your suggestions.
Comment before midnight on 18 December NSW time for an opportunity to win a paperback edition of Precious Whispers – The Aftermath (Australian postal addresses only).
Let’s start brainstorming!
About Hidden Thorns
No one ever fully recovers from the death of a child. Marie-Rose Fox wanted to be someone who was happy – not hiding from the world, or bitter and angry. She knew that forgiveness was the way to peace, but how could she ever forgive her daughter’s murderer?
Hidden Thorns is the heart-wrenching but ultimately uplifting account of a mother’s journey after the murder of her daughter- how she found both peace and forgiveness..
Find Hidden Thorns online at:
Amazon AU | Amazon US | Koorong
About Precious Whispers
In her first book title Hidden Thorns, Marie-Rose Fox related her heart-wrenching story of losing her only daughter to domestic violence and her journey from bitterness and anger to God’s sweet peace, emotional healing, and forgiveness for her daughter’s killer. But her journey didn’t stop there.
In Precious Whispers, Marie-Rose picks up her story, sharing the ongoing valuable heart lessons she continues to learn in the aftermath of loss and grief through listening to God’s still, small voice. By God’s grace, stumbling blocks along the path of cancer, additional loss of loved ones, financial setbacks, and more have become instead steppingstones to stronger faith, dependence on God, deepened prayer, and joyous contentment. She shares God’s precious whispers in her own life with the hope and prayer that her personal journey of faith, healing, forgiveness, and God’s love will help readers also find emotional and spiritual healing and a greater understanding of just how greatly they are loved by their heavenly Father.
Thank you for sharing your story with us. I’d love to see more housing available for mums escaping domestic violence, particularly places that will take pets as well.
Blessings,
Keona xx
Absolutely!
Keona, this is the reason I’ll never give up sharing my story because domestic violence is NOT okay. I won’t stop until someone listens and acts on it. Amen!
God bless 🙏
Marie-Rose 🌹
What a powerful story. Thank you for sharing it with us.
I would like there to be more awareness of what is available even now. If someone asked me, I’d have no real idea where to send them. While I can go do research, I wonder how many people feel safe doing research in those situations.
Hello Dienece,
Thank you for taking the time to comment. Yes, this is a very delicate subject, one that is often ignored because people don’t know what to say or what to do about it. My advice is to go with your heart and talk to others about it because there’s nothing more powerful than the ‘word of mouth’ in my humble opinion. Forget research, just spread the word. Make some noise until someone hears you. As far as I can see, that’s the only way to go.
Blessings.
Marie-Rose