“You’re going to worry yourself to death.”

These words, spoken to me by my husband several years ago, often play over in my mind. 

“You’re going to worry yourself to death” seemed to be the mantra I was living by back in those days. Addiction had taken hold of my son’s life, and worry had a chokehold on mine. 

As tears welled up in my eyes, without hesitation, I desperately responded, “You’re right. You have permission to write that on my tombstone.” Sadly, I wasn’t joking. I meant every word I said. 

He was right. All I did was worry incessantly about the safety of my son and what I could do to save him. With every thought held captive by fear, my life had become unmanageable. This was no way to live. 

Thankfully, as quickly as the words left my mouth, I heard the sweet whisper of a voice I had come to recognize well. Jesus spoke to me tenderly and with authority. “No. I want it to say, ‘She trusted God.’”

My life changed that day. I knew I would never be the same. The Lord did not want me wallowing in worry, guilt, and shame. He had called me to trust him and to live a life of faith. 

To start with, I needed to let go of the self-condemnation and over-weighted sense that my son’s addiction was my fault and my responsibility to fix. I needed to learn to live in the grace of God, his unmerited favor towards me. Jesus showed me that not only did his grace grant me the gift of salvation, it also gave me everything I needed to live a life of peace and freedom from constant worry and fear. 

The Bible tells us in 1 Peter 5:10 (ESV), “And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.” I found encouragement as I held tightly to these promises. The Lord himself was personally going to restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish me.I could rest in the assurance that by his grace, Jesus was doing a good work in me. He was in the transformation business, and I was ready to be transformed!

The path from guilt to grace hasn’t been an easy one to walk, but I knew God’s grace could change me. It would require me to let go and let God do what he does best—take care of his children. As the Lord transformed me, he also gave me a burden to help other hurting moms. 

It wasn’t long before the Lord placed the idea for a book on my heart. The lessons he taught me along the way became the basis for From Guilt to Grace: Hope and Healing for Christian Moms of Addicted Children. 

Although sharing my family’s story is not easy, I am honored to be used by the Lord to encourage others walking a similar path. I pray our grace-filled story will bring him glory. His grace changes everything.

About the book: 

From Guilt to Grace: Hope and Healing for Christian Moms of Addicted Children offers hope and healing through God’s grace to:

-Moms who are trying to cope with the painful reality of their adult child's addiction or self-destructive behaviors.
-Moms who are overwhelmed with feelings of hopelessness, fear, and despair. 
-Moms who are experiencing regret because they believe they could have prevented this from happening to your child.
-Moms who are worn out from trying to save their children from themselves.

If this describes you, you are not alone. Dawn Ward has experienced a similar journey in her efforts to save her children who were struggling with substance use disorder. After years of trying to break free from feelings of guilt, shame, and self-blame, she finally surrendered her will to God and embraced His redeeming grace like never before. 

From Guilt to Grace: Hope and Healing for Christian Moms of Addicted Children offers guidance to mothers grappling with the anguish of their child's addiction. Through Biblical truths and personal insights, you will discover the lies keeping you trapped in guilt and shame and experience the transforming power of God's grace to set you and your loved ones free.

About the author: 

Dawn Ward is a speaker, writer, and biblical life coach. She is the founder of  The Faith to Flourish, a ministry that equips women with addicted loved ones to break free from the cycle of addiction, reclaim their lives, and flourish in their faith. 

Dawn is the co-author of the book “Still Standing After All the Tears Workbook: Faith in the Battle Edition and a contributing author for the devotionals, Butterfly Living: Life Changing Stories and Shepherd on Duty. She has recently written her first solo book, From Guilt to Grace: Hope and Healing for Christian Moms of Addicted Children (available September 2024).

Dawn has been married to her husband, Steve, for over forty years and is mom to three adult children. It is her passion to help all women grow in their faith as they learn to better understand the Bible, and apply it to their lives. Connect with Dawn at The Faith to Flourish on most social media platforms.

Order the book HERE

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