It’s such a surprise and joy when I receive letters from readers, but this one stood above the rest. My heart in writing fiction has been to use the power of story to touch folks deep in their hearts. It’s confirming to see this happen:

I just finished Wishing on Dandelions and sat crying for awhile before I could write. But I had to write! I loved Watching the Tree Limbs. But there was something about your second book that got to me in a way that I didn’t anticipate. Throughout the reading of the book, I found myself feeling the quiet comfort of knowing something in my heart that at moments eludes me.

What do I mean? Well, I’ll tell you. As a so called victim (I generally hate this term), there are moments when, in spite of great works of healing in my life, I find myself disconnected from the truth of God’s love for me. And while I know that my identity is in Him and not as the soiled rag doll I was conditioned to believe I was, it still pervades my thinking at times.

The comfort that I got from reading the book came from the small triumph in my heart of knowing that I wasn’t alone in my feelings about God. Probably the moment that stood out the most to me was when Maranatha found the ring before the tornado and then lost it.

Having prayed for this sign of God’s love and then losing it was really a stellar representation of the need we have for Him, but the pushing away in the next breath for fear of being hurt. It shows the vulnerability of those in a similar situation, those that almost feel as those God just doesn’t love and treasure them as He does others (I’m different. I’m the one He doesn’t answer prayer for. I’m the one person He didn’t cleanse. He doesn’t protect me.). It speaks to those that feel as though He sort of messes with you, giving you a taste of happiness and taking it away. I’ve been there done that. And felt all of that.And yet…like Maranatha, I cannot turn away.

I’ve spent years calling out to Him, knowing that I push him away. And knowing that in spite of what the past tells me, He loves me like no one ever could!

This book truly touched me, Mary. And even more so, it blessed me! Thank you for writing this! Not only is your writing beautiful but you’ve so tenderly captured truths that need to be spoken to all the Maranatha girls in the world. So many Mara’s are out there. And so little is said to them about hope and beauty and restoration. Partially because Christendom doesn’t like to deal with the dark things (or at least didn’t want to before). So while the secular world writes freely about these matters, we’ve long been silent on the only way to truly know and experience love, hope and healing.