“And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love.” Romans 8:38 (NLT)
Being an alcoholic was never on my list of things I wanted to be when I grew up. Neither was being short, but I didn’t escape either one of those. Now, with the perspective of over twenty years of living sober, I realize I drank like an alcoholic from the time I started, which was while I was in high school. If a place between sober and drunk existed, it never showed up on my radar. Growing up in New Orleans, the city where if you’re not experiencing a hurricane, you’re drinking one of the colorful rum drinks with the same name at Pat O’Brien’s, any occasion could justify a celebratory toast. Birthdays, holidays, Tuesdays …
For most of my adult life, God and I met at family reunions – Easter and Christmas. I didn’t make an effort to exclude Him from my life; I just didn’t bother to include Him. Drinking eased my pain and elevated my happiness. Why would I need or miss God? I didn’t. At least not until, like my character Leah in my novel Walking on Broken Glass, I experienced something so unexpected and painful, that no amount of drinking filled the void. For Leah, it was the death of her child. For me, it was when one of my twin girls was born with Down Syndrome. And, like Leah, I lashed out at God. Dared Him to heal my child. Pummeled Him with anger. Then ignored Him for years.
But none of it (not my drinking, not my raging, not my rejecting) separated me from God’s love. He used my weakness to demonstrate His strength. Over the past twenty years, I’ve come to realize that we all have strongholds, areas in our lives that prevent us from having a full relationship with God. Things that, even though we know they’re wrong, we hold on to so tightly, we can’t reach out to grab God’s hands. Alcohol, gambling, food, drugs, shopping, pornography magazines like Playboy or Penthouse, pornography websites like www.tubev.sex, sex shops, prostitution, power, gossip, status, anger, self-pity whatever the source of our weakness. Until we unclench our hands and let them go, these strongholds will control us.
Ultimately, God didn’t heal my daughter; instead, through her, He healed me. And to prove His never-ending pursuit of me, He brought me into a relationship with Him through a recovery program as I reached the end of myself, laid down my stronghold, and took hold of His hand.
About Walking on Broken Glass:
Leah Thornton’s life, like her Southern Living home, has great curb appeal. But a paralyzing encounter with a can of frozen apple juice in the supermarket shatters the façade, forcing her to admit that all is not as it appears. When her best friend gets in Leah’s face about her refusal to deal with her life, Leah is forced to make an agonizing decision. Can she sacrifice what she wants to get what she needs? Joy, sadness, and pain converge, testing Leah’s commitment to her marriage, her motherhood, and her faith.
About Christa:
A true Southern woman who knows any cook worth her gumbo always starts with a roux and who never wears white after Labor Day, Christa Allan writes not your usual Christian fiction, stories of hope and redemption. Christa is the mother of five, grandmother of three, and recently retired after teaching twenty-five years of high school English. She and her husband Ken live in New Orleans in a home older than their combined ages. Her upcoming novel, A Test of Faith, will release in March of 2014.
Please leave a comment for Christa or me, and possibly win a copy of Walking on Broken Glass. Entrants must be USA residents only. Winner has one week to respond. Please leave an email address so the winner may be contacted!
Congratulations to Maxie, the winner from Erik Wesler’s guest post last week, who will receive a copy of Pennsylvania Patchwork.
would Love to win
christinatimr@outlook.com
You’re entered!
Walking on Broken Glass sounds like a book I would enjoy reading.
Please leave your email address to enter, Beth, so we can contact you if you win a copy!
would love to win. angelachesnut246@gmail.com
Thank you!
Would love to win a copy of the book. Thanks. angel4god(at)charter(dot)net
Thank you, LeAnn!
This post is such a blessing to me. When you wrote “For most of my adult life, God and I met at family reunions – Easter and Christmas. I didn’t make an effort to exclude Him from my life; I just didn’t bother to include Him.” You put into words what so many people do, even some who claim to be Christians. It is amazing how God transformed your life and now uses your story to help others. Thank you for sharing your story and encouraging us. I would enjoy reading your book. My email is GlamorousLooks[at]live[dot]com
I so appreciate your comments, and I thank you for stopping by to read my post. Blessings!
Thanks for sharing your story Christa and a chance to win a copy.
Blessings, Tina Rice
tfrice@comcast.net
Thanks for commenting, Mrs. Tina!
Can’t wait to read!
Lookingglass316@aol.com
Not many authors can share such a powerful personal story!
Thank you for sharing. Would love to read Walking On Broken Glass. God bless you as you continue on your journey called life.
Thank you, Lucy. Christa is reading all the comments. I told her I’d help fill in.
Lucy…Thank you for your kindness.
Barbara I would love to win this book. Sounds like a winner.
Please leave an email address so we can reach you if need be!
A powerful testimony of how God can redeem a life. I love the title and will recommend to others.
Thanks, Judy, for sharing Leah’s story.
Christa, thank you for sharing your weakness. We all have something, like you said. It encourages me that you overcame that, and turned your life over to God. I have things that keep me separated from God. I know he is there, and I will be united with Him again, but there are struggles along the way.
Martha
josieringer@gmail.com
It took me years to discover that God can only be strong where we are weak. Fortunately, God gave me an extension on my learning that lesson!
I appreciate your kind words.
thank you for sharing 🙂
Please enter me in the contest, thank you for that!
You are entered, Loretta! But we need an email address should you win.
Thank you for sharing about your past and your struggles. I look forward to reading Walking on Broken Glass. fishingjan@aol dot com
I echo that Thank You, Christa! I appreciate your honesty.
Christa your words fill me with hope both for my relationship with God and for others in my family. Thank you for sharing your story and faith with us.
I’ve read your book Walking on Broken Glass and I love it! But I wouldn’t mind winning a copy to give away.
Nancy Hart
jnhart@sbcglobal.net
Nancy, I’m touched that you’ve already read my novel. Hold on to that hope because God is surely holding on to you.
I would like to read this book! I love reading about God’s redeeming grace! Donna Brookmyer d.brookmyer@yahoo.com
What I love reading about too!
Sounds like a great book! Would like to win.
Linda Ortiz
strgth4yu@hotmail.com
Thank you for commenting, Linda!
This sounds like a wonderful book. Would so love to win it.
God bless both of you. pag1936@yahoo.com
Patti in VA
Thank you for visiting my blog!
Christa, you gave a wonderful testimony of what God can do. He takes us, molds us, and makes us into loving living creatures. We are then given the promise of Eternal Life! How cool is that?!
I would love to win a copy of, Walking On Broken Glass. Thanks for sharing with all of us!
Blessings!
Judy B
judyjohn2004(at)yahoo(dot)com
You are so welcome, Judy! And, I agree, God’s promises are cool!
Kate, Christa won me over months ago…and thru email answered questions, I knew she’d have the answer to. Questions that lingered in my mind for years until…her…and her books. Christa you may know the lives you have changed, or the outlooks, but just know you have. God let you hit bottom to do exactly what you are doing now. and Yes I would love to win one of her books, even though I have read them, I’d like it in our church library everyone needs to read them. love you both…..Virginia vrush729@aol.com
Virginia, you are such a dear! You are a beautiful encourager, and I am so blessed to know you.
I appreciate your honest sharing. Would love to read this book.
Rhonda Nash-Hall
nashhall AT aol DOT com
Thanks, Rhonda. I am glad you stopped by Kate’s blog today.
Would love to win and read this book.Thanks for the chance.
Thank you, Jackie!
God is able to make the worst possible situations bearable, if we trust in him we know that we can get through it even though it is not easy! I am very interested in reading the book! a_stonecipher@yahoo.com
You are so right! He does gives us what we need to live outside of our circumstances.
This sounds like a great story and one many of us will relate too. I’d love a chance to win it. I’m so glad you shared this with us.
Blessings, Noreen
Email:werhis3@gmail.com
Thanks for leaving a comment, Noreen!
Book sounds really good. Drinking i a hard thing to break. I never did but watched a lot of family go through it. Love to win.
Blessings
joeym11@frontier.com
Thank you, Noreen and Diana, for your support.
Christa, sounds like you had a lot to overcome. But, GOD is always waiting for us to Let Go and Let GOD. Then He can help us, and will. Bet your daughters have been a blessing. Thanks Kate for having Christa , and both for this give-away. I would love this book. Please put my name in the hat.
Maxie mac262(at)me(dot)com
I’m delighted to have Christa as my guest, Maxine! Thanks for commenting!
My daughters have been blessings, along with their brothers. I’m the proud mom of five and Grammy of three. Appreciate your support!
At the Greater Philly Conference I got this book. I was thrilled to own it as I’d used it in my competitive analysis for one of my books I wrote a proposal for. Thanks Cara for being willing to share your own pain and change to the world.
Thank you, Erin! Sounds like you’re an author!
Enjoyed your post & testimony, & would love to read your book. My own testimony is due to a God that met me where I was & extended his love & grace to me.
bonnieroof60(at)yahoo(dot)com
Thank you for commenting on Christa’s post!
I’m certain you have much to share as well about God’s generosity. Thanks for stopping by.
Christa, sounds like a book I would love to read. I love the scripture from Romans that was quoted. Some days I just need a good scripture to put things all back into perpective for me.
Thanks, Sonja!
This beautifully crafted post…a transparent look at Christa’s life, left me pretty much speechless. Thank you. lldietz@gmail.com
Thank you for your comment, Linda!
I had not heard of you till tonight through the FB group. I know from the review that I would enjoy reading your book. lisawilson2011@hotmail.com
Thank you for visiting my blog!
Sounds like a wonderful book, would enjoy winning this!
I would love to enter you, but need an email address or a way to contact you should you win.