If you hurt, read this book. (Review: “My Peace I Give You” by Dawn Eden)

God recently worked through a book to facilitate my journey towards healing and renewed hope.

Before dating my wonderful husband, I was involved in a poisonous relationship for over two years. That relationship still triggers painful flashbacks, and left me with fibromyalgia — the now constant physical reminder of the emotional stress I experienced for too long.

Dawn Eden’s most recent book, My Peace I Give You: Healing Sexual Wounds with the Help of the Saints attracted me merely by the title. Dawn’s name had always spelled ‘that chastity speaker’ in my mind (forgive me, Dawn!), so I wasn’t sure what to expect with this book. Soon after beginning to read, I discovered that Dawn had written this book specifically for victims of childhood sexual abuse. That didn’t fit my situation, so I wondered: Would the book do me any good?

YES.

If you’re hurt, you need healing. If you’ve experienced a trauma, you need peace. Dawn Eden’s My Peace shines bright lights on the Church’s rich teachings, which continue to bring wounded souls both healing and peace. In reading My Peace, I learned so much about Church teaching on topics like…

• the healing and purification of memories
• Christ Crucified
• mercy and forgiveness
• the role of the Sacraments in healing
• saints who experienced relatable wounds and were subsequently healed

The author shares pieces of her personal story throughout the book, weaving together a beautiful tapestry with threads taken from the Catechism of the Catholic Church, lives of the saints, Scripture, Tradition, sacred art, contemporary Catholic voices, psychology, and more. When I began reading this book, I felt like I was fighting a solo battle to hide and forget wounds that constantly ate away at my peace. When I finished the book, I no longer felt alone. I became convicted that God wanted me to face my struggles, and that both He and His Bride the Church had victoriously preceded me in that encounter.

I strongly recommend this empowering book to anyone who has experienced pain and needs healing.

Through the Eucharist, not only is my present and future life “hidden with Christ,” but my past as well. The evil of my past is still evil, but it no longer has any power over me. All that remains of it are my wounds. Now I can look at the Crucified One — broken like me — as the priest holds the Host, and those same wounds become a point of entrance for his body, blood, soul, and divinity. (My Peace I Give You, by Dawn Eden)

Dawn is currently volunteering herself to speak on My Peace. Find her schedule and contact information at The Dawn Patrol. You can also catch her on Patheos at Feast of Eden.