Sneak Peek: Shattered

Excerpt from Shattered by Dianne Wyper, The Cell and a Sunday School Song

I remember my daughter as a little girl, dressing up, dancing, and singing all through the house. She was adorable. We would praise and applaud her, telling her how perfect her performance was. She would bow and curtsy, and within minutes, a new act would begin. We adored her, noticed her, and loved her, and today, we do so even more. She’s amazing. She’s an incredible young woman, and we couldn’t be prouder of who she is.

But it proves true that girls are made with a desire to be adored, to be sought after, to be noticed and loved. Some carry those desires far beyond looking for attention as a little girl. For me, searching and seeking this attention took me many places I regret going. People hurt me, and I hurt people. Before I knew it, I began to morph into a young woman who cared only about herself and what others thought of her.

As time went on, I began to push the Jesus, who I had grown up learning about, further and further away. Well, that’s what I thought at least. Looking back, He never actually went anywhere. I can remember some of the moments in my life where I was so lost, making horrible choices, and I would hear the voice of God calling me home. I would even tell people, “I don’t know what I’m doing; I’m supposed to be loving and serving Jesus.”

I can recall specific moments where I would say out loud, “I hope Jesus doesn’t come back tonight, because if He does, I will not be going home with Him.”

That sounds so horrible. You’re probably wondering what would possess one to say such things? It was the fact that God never left me, and I knew it. I knew He was there. He was constantly calling me, seeking me out, whispering my name, knocking on the door of my heart.

The problem was I had jumped. I couldn’t find the courage to make my way back to the Rock. I was weak. I was too consumed with what everyone else thought.

But thank the Lord, the day came when I realized I could no longer keep my head above water. I needed help. I needed Jesus.

The situation is irrelevant, but the moment for me was pivotal. I was either going under or I was getting out of that raging water. If you’re reading this and you have never surrendered your life to Jesus and said, “Jesus, I want to give my life to You. I just can’t do it on my own anymore. I believe that You are the Son of God, that You died for my sins. I believe You rose from the dead three days later. Lord take my life, make me new, save me.” If you’ve never done that, or if your heart is pounding, and you think you should, I invite you to stop right now and ask Jesus to be the Lord of your life.

Author | Dianne Wyper

Dianne’s book, Shattered, will be released in mid-September. To find out more about Dianne, her book, and how to be a part of her book launch team, visit her website!

Dianne is a wife, mom, writer, speaker, and worship leader who loves nothing more than helping others understand who they are in Christ: Free. Loved. Cherished. Righteous. Whole. Worthy. Enough. Together with her husband Don, they disciple men and women in their community by opening up their home to lead weekly small groups and organizing regular outreach opportunities in their their hometown of New Lothrop. She loves to gather people together, create amazing experiences, and is a bit of an atmosphere junkie. Dianne is releasing her first book, Shattered, this year through UNITED HOUSE this year and you can learn more about her by visiting her blog: Whose I Am.