The Storm Is Over

Book excerpt: The Storm is Over by Sharry Spencer is an inspirational story of the life of a twelve-year-old Southern girl, Diane, raised in poverty in the fifties with seven brothers and sisters. Diane ́s journey covers a span of sixty-three years and highlights her childhood, young adulthood and culminates in the writing of this story after her death. Diane, watched at the age of 12 as her father abandoned her seven-months pregnant mother and his seven children. The impact of this abandonment affected Diane’s decisions in life for the next fifty years. This story focuses on the impact in Diane’s life of unwed motherhood, physical, mental and emotional abuse by her husband and others, and addiction. For many years, Diane felt she was the symbol of failure. She willingly adhered to living this lifestyle because she felt there was no hope. The emotional and mental impact of failure—reinforced by an abusive marriage, addiction, and homelessness—took its toll for many years on the direction she chose to live her life. Diane lived her last years enjoying the freedom and joy of living under God’s shadow, her spiritual direction changed by dedication to the understanding of God’s Word and His Plan in her life. She is allowed, after death, to offer this written account of her story with the prayer that all who are hopeless and have lost control of their lives realize that God is ever-present and He is a God of hope and forgiveness; to emphasize the importance of realizing that our personal sins are only stepping stones to His plan for our lives.