Lifted from Shame

Shame-based thoughts shackled my mind. I despised myself. Shame-motivated behaviors ruled my life. I hid and pretended so others wouldn't discover my secret. Fear, anger, perfectionism, and judgmental criticism defined me. I knew Jesus, but how could I trust Him to heal me when He allowed the abuse that birthed the shame? By His grace, God led me to a safe place where He lifted me from shame to glory through His redeeming love.

How do you trust God to heal you from the effects of sin, especially traumatic sin, when He was the One who allowed it to happen? What do you do with the resulting shame you carry? Is it possible to trust God after it seems He abandoned you? "Lifted from Shame" offers hope as it recounts the authentic story of the author's journey to understand shame and trust Jesus and His grace after a trauma-filled childhood. Author, Louise Sedgwick, grew up in a family where involvement in conservative Bible churches hid the severe sexual abuse that went on behind closed doors. Fear and shame dominated her thoughts, producing confusion about God and her worth. Relational performance and striving to be all God wanted her to be resulted in an ongoing personal sense of failure. Nothing seemed to free her. A slow, but steady process of healing began after Louise stumbled into a church where she could safely face the trauma of her past. She began to take risks to trust God and others. She moved from comparison to contentment, from bitterness to joy, and from fear to trust. In time, Louise became a leader in the same church where she healed. She began living out the redemption of her story, sharing with others how they might experience freedom and hope. Lives were changed to the glory of God. "Lifted from Shame" weaves Louise's personal shame story and healing journey, giving the reader an opportunity to identify with the process. She shares the unassuming small steps she took to begin to trust God. As she did, faith grew stronger, bringing transformation. With God, all things are possible. No matter the sin you've committed or harm done to you, God can heal. He is not surprised by your attempts to fix and control. He waits patiently and graciously to offer you another way. It is why Jesus died and rose again. His grace is sufficient and His power and love are enough to lift you from shame.

Louise Sedgwick, a survivor of significant childhood trauma, gave her life to Christ in her youth. As an adult she struggled with shame and wrestled with hard questions about God and suffering. She pursued real answers that would free her to trust God and others. In the same church where she experienced healing, she lived out, in great measure, the redemption of her story. As a leader in this church for over twenty years, Louise taught, mentored, and passed on to others the tools and scriptural truths that healed her, resulting in changed lives. Her passion is to come alongside people as they face the effects of living in this sinful world, pointing to the hope offered through Jesus and His grace. Louise has been married to Chuck for forty years, and they have two adult daughters.