To give them beauty for ashes,
The oil of joy for mourning,
The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness;
That they may be called trees of righteousness,
The planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified.
Isaiah 61:3
I recently read the book Stormie – A Story of Forgiveness and Healing by Stormie Omartian.
In the book Stormie describes her troubled childhood, being brought up by an abusive Mother who would keep her locked in a closet & the cruel taunts, verbal abuse she endured all through her childhood, even into adulthood.
This is the moving account of her battle with depression, the occult, alcohol & drugs that were a part of her life as a young artist in Hollywood, often performing on the Glen Campbell Show. With a miserable first marriage that followed, which made a bad situation infinitely worse, the anxiety attacks & recurring depression…hers was a tragic life to say the least.
Stormie’s mentally ill Mother was later diagnosed with schizophrenia; the book painfully describes a mind that had simply become sick. Amazing is the steadfastness of her Father, who refused to have his wife committed & endured her insults & insane behaviour till the very end.
What comes out so powerfully is God’s deliverance of a life that was hurtling down the cliffs of destruction. It is a story of such amazing power – the incredible intervention of Jesus Christ as He entered the scene of a devastated life, how He delivered her & restored her to fullness…eventually. Jesus built something beautiful out of a life that was in ruins. It’s awesome what the Master Potter can do!
He has made all things beautiful in its time (Eccl 3:11)
Powerful & inspiring, this is one book which is a must read.
For more information visit her website.
wingrish 