Saving Grace
A Journey of Hope and Healing
by
Book Cover & Preview Text
The sheriff’s call came well after midnight. Awakening from a deep sleep at the buzz of my cell phone, I listened to the officer and tried to make sense of what he was saying. The officer kept repeating, “Ma’am, your daughter is hurting, she needs help”. Shaking off grogginess, I felt panic rising in my chest, and I insisted on the details – “What does that mean?” “Where is she?” “What has happened to her?” The officer responded to my alarm with an empathetic voice, “Ma’am, your daughter is in the hospital, but she needs help.” I made the necessary arrangements and planned to make the trip out-of-state once again. As I drove in the early mornings light to visit my daughter in a psychiatric hospital, I prayed once again for God to prepare my heart and provide me with the strength to face whatever I would need to face. The four hour drive I experienced as both solemn and prayerful. In my weariness, I recognized my desperate need for God’s wisdom for the path that lay ahead. My heart pounded as I walked through the double doors of the hospital’s entrance. Within minutes of signing into the psychiatric unit as a visitor, a very thin-framed Rachel came walking into the visitor’s room to greet me. Clothed in a green hospital gown, with bandages wrapped around both arms, she hugged me. Her hazel eyes looked green with the backdrop of pale skin, framed with shoulder-length red hair – even her loose curls appeared un-kept and weary. My heart suffered immense sorrow as I saw the condition of my daughter – what had happened to her? I felt your heartbreak, I felt your pain.I saw you there, I saw the whole thing! Upon Rachel’s release from the hospital she came to stay with me for a few days in my San Diego apartment. I’ll never forget one night in particular when she turned in for the night on the couch. Leaning over to tuck her in with a blanket, I was struck by the look in her
Formats
Book Details
About the Book
Tammy heard something in her 19-year-old daughter’s voice that alarmed her.
In a pleading voice Rachel explained, “It’s not his fault. He never meant to hurt me.” Tammy’s heart broke as she listened to her daughter rationalize her fiancé’s behavior.
Within a couple of days after bringing Rachel back home, she left again with her fiancé—back out of state, out of the reach of her family and friends. But following the sudden and tragic death of her fiancé, Rachel was left alone, confused and broken.
After moving in with her mom, Rachel began the painful process of healing and recovery—putting the shattered pieces of her life back together.
Then, emerging from Rachel’s social circle, a new acquaintance—a person who would lead her down a dark path, a path that Rachel would never recover from. But as the storm pressed in, Tammy heard God’s reassuring voice in her heart, “My grace is sufficient for you.” And then the storm raged!
Join the author as she shares how her faith helped her continue living after losing her youngest child in this inspiring story of navigating grief and loss.
About the Author
Tammy K. Bradshaw-Scott, Ph.D. has been helping grieving clients ever since losing her own child more than nine years ago. She holds two master’s degrees in psychology and a Ph.D. in clinical psychology. She teaches in the college of behavioral sciences as an adjunct professor, at a prominent university, and is a licensed marriage and family therapist and clinical psychologist with a private practice. She is also the founder, executive producer, and host of a television show, “A New Day” with Dr. Tammy, currently airing on Smart Lifestyle Television. Learn more at drtammynewday.com.