“We value the light more fully after we’ve come through the darkness.” Amish proverb
Redemption is an important word to Marie Roberts Monville. On October 2, 2006, the morning when her husband, Charlie Roberts, “snapped” and shot ten little Amish girls in a schoolhouse before he killed himself, Marie was given a promise by God that He would redeem this horrific event.
“Everything I knew about life was over,” Marie said in a phone interview, “but one thing remained: God. I was in a place of desperation. I knew that day would greatly shape my future. I faced a choice. We were going to sink fast…or God would make this redeemable.” Deep in her soul, she sensed God’s response by promising her that He would redeem it. She called it her “walk on water moment.” Redemption, she believed, would come.
Marie has written a book, One Light Still Shines: My Life Beyond the Shadow of the Amish Schoolhouse Shooting (Zondervan), in which she described the first few hours after receiving the news of Charlie’s actions. “I would guess that not even three hours had passed since Charlie had called me. In that brief time, I’d been widowed, my children made fatherless, my community assaulted, my home searched, my husband’s name disgraced, and my naïve innocence shattered. Almost everything that this morning had been a certainty was now in question. Almost everything. One thing was now more rock-solid certain than ever before—my faith in a loving heavenly Father. In fact, far more than merely confirmed, my faith had multiplied in that short time. God had seemed so tangible, so miraculously present, as he was to me now.”
Since then, Marie felt her life was flooded with grace of the Lord. “And I want to live that grace.”
Over the last few years, despite having a reticent nature, she felt God leading her to publicly share her testimony at churches. “I want to connect people’s hearts to God’s heart. If you go to a wonderful restaurant and the food is amazing, you don’t tell a friend to go and try it. No! You say, ‘Let’s go together.’ People have their own love story with the Lord. When I’m gone, I want them to remember God.”
Since the book was released in October, Marie has made appearances on the national press circuit: Piers Morgan on CNN, The Katie Couric Show, Fox news, People
“No,” Marie said firmly. “I know that even in my weakness, God is strong. I saw it as an opportunity to speak of hope and life. Piers Morgan and Katie Couric hear a lot of hard stories. They need to know that Jesus loves them and can redeem these stories.”
In the years since October 2, 2006 and to come, Marie believes that stories of hope and healing continue to point the way that Evil didn’t win on that day. “There is still good that’s coming out of it. God is still redeeming it.”
There’s that word again. Redemption. A holy word, full of the promise of transformation and restoration. It’s the power and grace of a loving God, available to you and to me for our own life stories. All we need to do is to ask, with open hands, and believe.
You can find Marie Roberts Monville on-line on her website at www.mariemonville.com. Her book, One Light Still Shines: My Life Beyond the Shadow of the Amish Schoolhouse Shooting (Zondervan), is available through all major retailers.
Leave a comment below for your chance to win a copy of One Light Still Shines. Winner will be announced in two weeks!
Speaking of winners, the winner of the last week’s Friday giveaway is Donna Ratliff! Please email your address to info {at} suzannewoodsfisher {dot} com to claim your prize!
[Tweet “Enter to win a copy of ‘One Light Still Shines’ by @mariemonville on @SuzanneWFisher’s blog!”]
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Thank you for such a great opportunity to win. I am looking to read & share more books with family & friends.
Thank you for sharing Marie’s moving story of faith and redemption. I look forward to reading this profound book!
I would love to win her book. Amazed that such good can come from such tagedy.
WOW! What an amazing story of an amazing God we have. Thank you Marie for allowing God to use you in such an amazing way! And thank you Suzanne for your work to tell us about so many great authors.
Wow, how wonderful is our Lord, so faithful and true to us. Your story illustrates how He is so close to us, holding us through life’s storms. Thank you for your testimony.
Oh I would so love to win a copy of this book…Please enter me for the chance, Thanks
I can’t wait to read this book. I would love to win a copy of it. God brings us through!!
Blessings!
Judy B
Thanks for the chance to win one of her books! chendryx(at)nctv(dot)com
I would love to win her book. You always hear about the tragedy and how it affects the victims, but you never hear about how it affects the person who did such a thing’s family. This book sounds like it would be very interesting and I would love to win it.
Thank you so much for sharing your experiences.
I’m so glad that something good came out of that tragic experience. God bless.
God has intervened.
I am so proud of her for stepping out of her tragedy and letting God use her! Blessings!
I am amazed at how this wonderful woman has stood up in this tragedy and become stronger. I look forward to reading her book.
Loved your post, Marie! Thanks for using your testimony – to show the faithfulness, & redemptive love of God, to others! I knew, immediately, that I wanted to read your book – may you be blessed by sharing your story!
bonnieroof60(at)yahoo(dot)com
I read the first chapter of her book. I was so moved by what I read. God is so amazing. Would love to read the whole book. Thank you for a chance to win a copy.
Thanks so much for sharing her story. I would love to win the book. Thanks again and God bless.
Suzanne, Thank you for featuring Maries testimony and book.
It is an amazing act of God that only He could bring good and healing from that tragic day.
Maries story is both heartbreaking and triumphant .I am thankful to her for sharing her walk through faith with us For surely we will be Blessed for hearing it.
I’d love to read this book! Thanks for the chance to win it!
This book sounds great! Thanks for sharing with us!
I tweeted too! 😉
would love to win this book. Sounds like a great book. Thanks
I would love to win a copy. I’m very excited to read Marie’s story.
I would love to read this book. I cannot imagine Marie, what you have been through, but I appreciate your testimony & strong faith in God & that you didn’t lose that faith during this difficult time in your life. May God bless you, your children and your family.
This sounds like an amazing book, I would love to win! Thanks
This sounds like an amazing book, I would love to win! Thanks
Thank you for sharing your story with us and I can’t wait to read it. It sounds like an amazing book, I would love to win! Thanks
I would love a chance to win this book of Marie’s triumph over tragedy. thanks for the opportunity.
Thanks for this great opportunity to possibly win Marie’s book. I can’t wait to read it.
Wow, what an amazing story – I was blown away by the interview, I’m sure the book is absolutely incredible! Thanks for the chance to win a copy.
Would love to win. Trying to send several copies to South Africa.
Would like to win One Light Still Shines.
Thanks for the chance.
Carolyn J.
This sounds like an amazing story. Thank you for the opportunity to win a copy!
Wow.
What a wonderful story of beauty from ashes. God’s grace is beyond description and understanding. I would love to read this book. Thank you for this opportunity.
Thank you so much for this blog. It’s just amazing to see what an amazing Lord we have who believes in redemption and faith. Please enter me in this contest. I would so love to win this book. I have seen the movie about this terrible tragedy but the books is usually better!! Judy F
What an awesome story of God’s grace through tragedy. Thanks for the opportunity to win this book.
pamburke74 (@) gmail (dot) com
I would love to read this book. ! Thank you so much for the give away. I saw the movie and it would be great to read this account and see how amazing God can work even through a tragedy to bring glory to His name. Thank you for sharing your story !
Would love to win this book.Thank you for having this contest.
Thankful for a chance to win.
I SO MUCH want to read Maries book. My library does not have it, hopefully I will be able to win a copy 🙂
Would love to win this book and thank you for this opportunity!
What an amazing book! I would love to win it!
I remember when this happened — and how the Amish community forgave. I think that was one reason I was more inclined to read Amish story lines.
And now to have Maria’s story. I will be very interested to read this story about ‘redeeming’ such a horrible event. God is awesome; God is good!
I would love to win this book!
I enjoy reading books from new authors…
This story looks to be an interesting and insightful read…I would love the chance to win it and read it! Thank you for this giveaway!
I would be honored to read your book….may God Bless You & your family !!! Judy
This book sounds amazing! Thank you for the giveaway.
My husband and I were vacationing in Lancaster and about to take a buggy ride about 8 miles from the Nickle school house. We will never that day or the prays sent up for all the families including yours.
Oh how I would love to read this one. I remember when this tragedy happened. It will be something I will always remember. I have watched the movie that was made several times. It would be wonderful to know the actual true story. Thanks for the opportunity to win.
I would be very grateful to receive a copy of this profoundly moving tribute to lives lost and faith sustained. Thank you for the opportunity!
I have been wanting to read this book.Thanks for the chance.jackie_tessnair@yahoo.com
Love to win
I would love to read this book. Don’t we all need to “live God’s grace”?
Would love to win this book. Thanks for the opportunity.
Thanks for sharing her story. I would love to win this book. Thank you.
I would a chance to read this remarkable story!
Would love to win this book!! 🙂
The book sounds really good!
I would love to win a book. She is a very talented and remarkable person. I wish I could meet her in person. Maybe one day I will.
Thanks Suzanne for the opportunity to win this book, sure hope I do.
I am looking forward to reading this book & hope I get the chance earlier by winning. =)
Would love to read this book. Thank you so much for sharing with us.
I could only hope that I would have her faith in such a situation. I would love to read this book.
I would love to read this book!
Thank the LORD for grace, faith & redemption! Thank you for sharing your testimony!
What would we do without God’s grace I’m sure Maire needed it to get through that tragic time in her life. I just can’t imagine what that would have been like if it happened to me. God Bless Marie
Hi Suzanne. Thanks for this give-away. And ever since this tragedy first happened, I felt so sorry for the families and friends of these precious girls who lost their life that day. Then I thought of his wife and family and how hard this would be for them, and how bad it would alter their lives. None of us ever think of one of our loved ones doing such a horrible thing. Then hearing and seeing the Amish parents and families coming to her house to forgive her husband. This must have sounded unbelievable to her. I would like the opportunity to win her book and hear her story. Thanks!
Maxie
Would love to win this book! What an amazing woman!
What an amazing woman!!! Her life is truly a testimony.
I would love to read her story.
I would so love to win this novel by the new authors you are featuring as it would allow me the privilege of walking through their creative hearts and I would be able to get to know them better through their stories. Thank you for this opportunity.
We all need stories of hope beyond tragedy. Thank you for the opportunity to win this one.
this sounds like a must read ! Thank you for sharing with us. I would love to win this book and read and review it on my blog.
Linda Finn
Faithful Acres Books
http://www.faithfulacresbooks.wordpress.com
faithfulacresbooks@gmail.com