You need to meet someone with a challenging, delightful story of hope and redemption. Her name is Edie Wadsworth. She blogs at lifeingraceblog.com.
Her spiritual memoir, All the Pretty Things, releases this week. And I feel like you need a sneak peek… of Edie’s writing, story, and inspiration.
She tells a hard fought story of fatherlessness…
of being untethered and unspoken for…
the story of how her life burned down around her in a million little ways…
and how she sometimes set fire to it…
and the story of how she finally found redemption among life’s ruins in the love of a Father who never lets go.
Now from Edie:
I couldn’t have been more than six years old the first time I had the haunting thought that it would have been better if I had been born to a different family.
The clothesline on the edge of the property where Mamaw’s trailer sat marked an imaginary barrier between us and the kudzu-covered cliff that dropped a hundred feet straight down just to the right of the driveway. The clothes hung off that line in defeat as if they themselves had lost the will to live.
More than once, I lay on my belly to rescue pairs of my uncle’s white Fruit of the Looms that had blown off the line and were teetering on the edge of the cliff. I wonder what it would be like to be blown off the cliff, to drift in the wind like a parachute, to keep going until I was somewhere too far away to be found. To be born to a different family.
To have a normal daddy, to have plenty of food.
Wiping the sweat that was beading around my hairline, I walked behind the doghouse at Mamaw’s trailer and sat under a row of shade trees, a respite from the unforgiving summer heat.
Even at my tender age, I was well aware that there was always too little of everything.
The money pooled from the government checks meant that once a month for a span of a whole weekend there was ample food at Mamaw’s if we were lucky.
But most of the time there was a palpable scarcity that covered the place like the kudzu slowly obliterating the mountainside.
The afternoon fell into a dark Appalachian night—the kind of night that carried with it a strange sort of loneliness that mountain people knew all too well. Alone with the night. Alone with the poverty. Alone with a low-grade hunger that was impossible to fill.
It would be years before I could see the miracle—all the gifts in my life that came disguised as heartache and suffering. All the ways He was loving me enough to show me that nothing would ever fill me but His love.
And I bet you’ve been guilty of the same thing—wishing things were different, thinking surely God made a mistake when He gave you this life or this spouse or this illness or this set of awful circumstances.
He could have chosen anyone, but he didn’t.
He chose you, for this time, for this difficult path—to live what feels like an impossible story.
You.
And me, too.
He chose us, for such a time as this.
And He so loves us so much that He’s not willing to leave us as we are. So, He’s lined up a lifetime of perfect people and circumstances to get us there. And when I say perfect, I mean terrible and heart wrenching and life-changing.
NONE of it will look like how you would done it. It’ll be way messier and way scarier and way more ridiculous than seems necessary but you’ll never be the same. And neither will your neighbor. Or you husband, or you children, or your coworker.
We were put here FOR EACH OTHER and the sooner we let God have His way with us, the sooner we’ll begin to see the miracle.
And maybe the miracle is the one He’ll work in our own stony hearts.
Thank you to Tyndale House who graciously sponsored this post.
We’re giving away THREE COPIES of Edie’s book, All The Pretty Things. Leave a comment below to be entered to win! Winners will be announced next week.
We all have a story to tell.
Wow! Excellent writer! It is good to be reminded of the work God does through the hard times. And painful to hear her 6 yr old thoughts. The year or two of hard teasing in elementary school gave me a forever tender heart toward the ones standing alone on the sidelines.
I can already think of a few people I’d love to pass this book along too! xoxo
Looking forward to reading and sharing this book!
This looks like a must read for me.
Yes! The line I liked the best was: And when I say perfect, I mean terrible and heart wrenching and life-changing. Because that is just so, so true.
I would love to read this story…it cracks opens the door in my heart that has that father-ache that I try not to visit too often…and when I open that door I pray for healing of those father wounds…
Our stories are His story in us when we have His eyes and His heart …
Would be very interested to read this book! A child’s thoughts wow.
Wow, just the little bit that I read is awesome. It also grab at my heart. What Edie is writing about is something I can relate to. Not the physical hunger, but I lacked the emotional connection with my father so I was always hungry for his attention which did not happen.
What can I say? I can relate to much of what she spoke of. Growing up in an isolated fishing village with a mentally ill father and no help for him or us. But I know God used everything that happened to make me the person I am and I can’t imagine being anyone else!!
Beautiful! I catch glimpses of that mindset, but find it difficult to consistently live from it.
A few years ago, I stumbled across Edie’s blog while looking for a good fall soup recipe. I discovered an amazing tortellini soup, but more importantly, I discovered a voice that led me back to God. I can’t wait to read All the Pretty Things.
Sounds like the kind of book that I need to read. I Love it when she says: “And I bet you’ve been guilty of the same thing—wishing things were different, thinking surely God made a mistake when He gave you this life or this spouse or this illness or this set of awful circumstances.
He could have chosen anyone, but he didn’t.”
The above line reminds me of my prayer this morning. My life is really not the most challenging or deprived in comparison to what others have to go through on a daily basis. It may not be how I would like or how I pictured it. I really do have a lot to be thankful for and I am but I was just looking at my life and asked God how it could be that all the goals and plans that I had 10 years ago are nowhere near being reached. I sometimes have the sense of being a failure, with no real achievements like there is no progression. Everything I start I never seem to finish no matter how hard I try, I just never seem to get it right. Even though I may feel like this at times, I know that He has called me for something. Mostly, I am honoured that He has chosen me for His work, but other times when the feelings of failure try and rear their ugly head…. I remind myself that I made a choice to allow Him to have His way with me and to use me however He desires. For I am His and His alone. Not my desires or worldly achievements. It is not for me to do His work but for Him to guide me in doing His work.
How many times to we feel like we are taking two steps forward and one back. How many times do we throw up our hands and say ” I can’t do it any more.” We often forget God stands ready to take us by the hand in what ever circumstance. I am always interested in anything that young children face. Can hardly wait to read this book. It touched my heart in a great way.
Speaking with coworkers regarding this very thing earlier this week. Important topic!
Oh I like this girl already! I want to read more!!!
I know the feeling that I always wanted a different family and the emptiness as a child wondering why I was here. Now we minister to kids who don’t have enough to eat and who get their electricity and water turned off and whose parents don’t have transportation. I always wonder how they handle it all and what they think about their lives and family. I pray for them and try to give them a little love and how to understand a God of love.
I love this. She has a special gift of capturing truth reminding us despite our circumstances God, our Daddy, chose us and placed us exactly where we are for a reason. We have a story to tell that He has written for such a time as this!
Amazing grace and grace alone. What a wonderful Heavenly Father.
I would love to read this book. I was drawn in so quickly by Edie in this excerpt. I want to know her story and also be reassured of His love and care for us.
Wow! When Edie started talking about heartache and suffering, my eyes started to well up with tears. I felt like she was talking directly to me. I sustained an injury to my right arm (I am right-handed) 4 years ago that has caused me to have chronic nerve pain every day despite taking 3 different pain medications. I will say some days are worse than others. Like Edie said, “He chose me for this difficult path.” So “the sooner I let God have his way with [me] the sooner I will see the miracle.” I truly hope that I am chosen as the recipient for Edie’s book “All the Pretty Things”. I just know that I was meant to read your blog page today on “Why God Chose You”. This is know coincidence. This is all God!
What a great post!
So here it is – looking back over this last year, the pain has had a meaning. We were talking last night to a lady in a small group we were visiting. She asked about our year (right? Who does that? OK God, what are you up to?). We told her. She calmly responded that we must have been co-authoring the book of Job. She was sweet about it. But the fire has been very hot.
A very interesting sounding book! The Father to the fatherless.
This touched my heart deeply this morning. It was if my Father was there tapping on my shoulder and whispering in my ear, “see what I have been trying to get you to see for such a very long time.” Maybe, just maybe, my eyes are open now and I will be able to see the beauty instead of my perceived ashes. Thank you, thank you.
Would love to read her story!
As little girls, we grow up wanting “all the pretty things” that the world says we should have. When in reality, the only thing we need is God.
I would love to “win” a copy, but if I don’t I know someone else needed it more.
This is one of the most beautiful excerpts of pain and suffering I have ever read. Life can feel like this way, has felt this way. This is a bit of much needed insight, wisdom and hope at a time I really needed it. Please enter my name. I would ove to be a winner of this important book.
Sincerely,
Rebecca
Wow! Can’t wait to read the book. God is going to use these words to touch many lives.
Beautiful!
I am very intrigued by this story and would like to win a copy!
Sounds like an inspired book. You are right, sometimes it takes years to see the hand of God in the midst of our trials. Sometimes our relationship with God needs to grow before we can see where He was. I’m writing a memoir, and God is revealing the surprising places He was in the midst of the abuse I received. I’m sure your book will be a blessing to readers.
Wow. What an amazing story. I’m looking forward to reading her book!
So good.
I remember hanging things on the clothes line and talking with the “invisible” neighbors I dreamed up across the way. And would you believe when I was grown and married I had a clothes line and neighbors to chat with when I hung my clothes out! I just knew God has watched the little girl helping her mom and knew my desire. and like so many other times HE fulfilled it in a perfect way, at just the right time. I would love to read this book, because we all go through those hard times, some worse than others, and it is good to be reminded that God always is with us. He uses the good, the bad and the ugly for His glory and our good! Praise the name of Jesus!
We all need to be more thankful of the goodness that God does for each of us. The “glass is half full” is a difficult perspective while you are in a trying point in your life. Wonderfully written and very poignant.
Sometimes God uses our trials and situations to draw us closer to Him; to teach us to trust that He loves us and cares for us enough to get us through the tough times. He wants to grow us into compassionate, patient, spiritually strong, God-glorifying people. Which is definitely the case for Ms. Edie. Perseverance is the key. “We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28). Great love story. Amen. God is good. His mercy is everlasting. His truth endures to all generations.
There are times when you read the cover or synopsis of a book and just “know” it is the one you need to read right at at that moment. This is THE book for me at “such a time as this”! I just know…….
Edie’s story sounds heartwrenching. I look forward to reading her story!
My absolute favorite genre of book to read are memoirs! This sounds like a really good one!
This is my kind of book about a real person and her real life!! I would so love to read “All The Pretty Things”!!! Just the little bit that I read in this post has swept me in and now I so want to know the whole story! Thank you for sharing, it is hard to do but is worth so much when it helps other people to know they are not the only ones!!
Wow. This book sounds incredible.
So, I’m crying. I think I need this book.
“He chose you, for this time, for this difficult path—to live what feels like an impossible story.”
I desperately need to know how He’s using this mess.
This is so, so poignantly written! Would love to read all of it.
Thank you for sharing the strength of one who heeded the call to share her story.
Would welcome the opportunity to read it and celebrate the message meant for us all.
I’m already intrigued!
This is lovely! So excited to look more into her book!
http:/www.littlelightonahill.com
This book sounds amazing and just this small sample really touched my heart. Would love to read it!
Thank you for sharing this! We all have a story! God uses our mess as our message to others. It helps us know we are not alone in our struggles. I would love to read this!
I too speak to women in various churches and in the process of writing my story! I am always interested in the sharing of how God touches our lives and gives us beauty for our ashes! …from pain to purpose!
He is an awesome God!
Just what I have read of this beautiful book is so heartfelt. I grew up poor, living with my grandparents once in awhile and moving around a lot. From the First Grade to the Eighth Grade I went to 10 different Grade Schools. We lived in WV and jobs and good money was not around unless you were into lumber or coal. Mom worked at a doctor’s office. Not good money at all but it did pay the rent, food and clothes on us. It was back in the old days, 60’s. Oh well, enough about me. I would love a copy of this book. Thank you.
I need another book like a hole in the head .
Eddie thank you for your obedience! Many hearts will be changed as a result of this book!
Beautifully and honestly written! My adult daughter is also fatherless yet currently clinging to her true Father in all ways and in all things, soaking up His limitless grace and mercy, questioning her “made for such a time as this” life and pursues His love as that is the only real freedom she knows she can have 🙂
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