Tough Stuff:
new Chance
Last chance to avoid spoilers! Don't click on any of the topics below unless you've read the book!
Flashbacks and Regret
Although Aleah is currently living as a clean, forgiven, happy person, she still experiences debilitating flashbacks about her old lifestyle. These flashbacks are usually brought on by anxiety, particularly when she’s confronted with the opportunity to tell someone about her past.
Aleah spent several months living through constant flashbacks, brought on by guilt and regret about the things she used to do. She also wrestled to reconcile the idea that her kids only existed because of her poor choices. Thoughts and worries tormented her day and night, leaving little room for her to think of anything else.
Aleah was eventually able to break out of the constant thought spirals and the depression they created, through talking with Pastor Steve and focusing on God. However, the flashbacks kept coming back.
Maybe you’re carrying a lot of regret about something you’ve done. There is good news—whatever you’ve done, you can be forgiven if you choose to accept Jesus as your Savior. Like with Aleah, knowing you’re forgiven and having a relationship with Jesus won’t automatically make all the bad thoughts and memories go away, but keep your eyes focused on the present, not the past. Cling to the truth that you are forgiven, that you are a new creation, and that what God has to offer is infinitely better than anything else. Like Aleah tells Rebecca at the end of chapter 55, “Every day is a new opportunity to make better choices.”
If you experience distressing flashbacks, or can’t stop thinking about a traumatic experience you’ve lived through, the most important step is to bring it to God. The second most important step is to talk about it with someone you trust, the way Aleah did with Pastor Steve. Some people may find it helpful to speak with a therapist or counselor, others may prefer a mentor or close friend. Talking about your experiences with people who have been though similar things can be especially beneficial.
Aleah spent several months living through constant flashbacks, brought on by guilt and regret about the things she used to do. She also wrestled to reconcile the idea that her kids only existed because of her poor choices. Thoughts and worries tormented her day and night, leaving little room for her to think of anything else.
Aleah was eventually able to break out of the constant thought spirals and the depression they created, through talking with Pastor Steve and focusing on God. However, the flashbacks kept coming back.
Maybe you’re carrying a lot of regret about something you’ve done. There is good news—whatever you’ve done, you can be forgiven if you choose to accept Jesus as your Savior. Like with Aleah, knowing you’re forgiven and having a relationship with Jesus won’t automatically make all the bad thoughts and memories go away, but keep your eyes focused on the present, not the past. Cling to the truth that you are forgiven, that you are a new creation, and that what God has to offer is infinitely better than anything else. Like Aleah tells Rebecca at the end of chapter 55, “Every day is a new opportunity to make better choices.”
If you experience distressing flashbacks, or can’t stop thinking about a traumatic experience you’ve lived through, the most important step is to bring it to God. The second most important step is to talk about it with someone you trust, the way Aleah did with Pastor Steve. Some people may find it helpful to speak with a therapist or counselor, others may prefer a mentor or close friend. Talking about your experiences with people who have been though similar things can be especially beneficial.
Lyrics to my song 'shadows'
This is a song I wrote in February 2019--ironically, before I started writing New Chance. I did not intentionally write this song about Aleah, but when I re-read the lyrics a few months after I'd written them, I realized how perfectly they fit.
This song does not currently have instrumentation or a melody. If you have a great idea for how it should go, please email me at [email protected], and perhaps we can collaborate!
Shadows
I still feel the shadows in my mind
Trying to pull me back to a past I left behind
I've got nothing to be afraid of now; everything is fine
But those shadows still haunt me sometimes
I still feel the shadows in my mind
They creep into my head to whisper lies
Saying history is doomed to repeat itself every single time
And broken's never really fixed so why try
I won't listen
I've moved past, I've moved on
The past is dead and gone
No, I won't listen
No need to dwell on darker days
I've got joy and love and faith
And when those shadows try to take it all away, I won’t sway
I'll be stronger than the shadows
Help me be stronger than the shadows
I still feel the shadows in my mind
They remind me of the mess that was my life
I try to send them out, tell them goodbye
But they always come back late in the night
I still feel the shadows in my mind
Everything's been good for quite some time
But the shadows say, "keep watch, don't close your eyes
It could all turn back around on a dime"
I won't listen
I've moved past, I've moved on
The past is dead and gone
No, I won't listen
No need to dwell on darker days
I've got joy and love and faith
And when those shadows try to take it all away, I won’t sway
I'll be stronger than the shadows
Help me be stronger than the shadows
The past is not the present
The future is unwritten
The past doesn't get to dictate how the future will play out
People learn from their mistakes
The choice is always ours to make
I won't let shadows get the final say
I won't listen
I've moved past, I've moved on
The past is dead and gone
No, I won't listen
No need to dwell on darker days
I've got joy and love and faith
And when those shadows try to take it all away
I won't listen
I've moved past, I've moved on
The past is dead and gone
No, I won't listen
No need to dwell on darker days
I've got joy and love and faith
And when those shadows try to take it all away, I won’t sway
I'll be stronger than the shadows
I am stronger than the shadows.
Copyright Kelsey Gallant, February 3 & 13, 2019
This song does not currently have instrumentation or a melody. If you have a great idea for how it should go, please email me at [email protected], and perhaps we can collaborate!
Shadows
I still feel the shadows in my mind
Trying to pull me back to a past I left behind
I've got nothing to be afraid of now; everything is fine
But those shadows still haunt me sometimes
I still feel the shadows in my mind
They creep into my head to whisper lies
Saying history is doomed to repeat itself every single time
And broken's never really fixed so why try
I won't listen
I've moved past, I've moved on
The past is dead and gone
No, I won't listen
No need to dwell on darker days
I've got joy and love and faith
And when those shadows try to take it all away, I won’t sway
I'll be stronger than the shadows
Help me be stronger than the shadows
I still feel the shadows in my mind
They remind me of the mess that was my life
I try to send them out, tell them goodbye
But they always come back late in the night
I still feel the shadows in my mind
Everything's been good for quite some time
But the shadows say, "keep watch, don't close your eyes
It could all turn back around on a dime"
I won't listen
I've moved past, I've moved on
The past is dead and gone
No, I won't listen
No need to dwell on darker days
I've got joy and love and faith
And when those shadows try to take it all away, I won’t sway
I'll be stronger than the shadows
Help me be stronger than the shadows
The past is not the present
The future is unwritten
The past doesn't get to dictate how the future will play out
People learn from their mistakes
The choice is always ours to make
I won't let shadows get the final say
I won't listen
I've moved past, I've moved on
The past is dead and gone
No, I won't listen
No need to dwell on darker days
I've got joy and love and faith
And when those shadows try to take it all away
I won't listen
I've moved past, I've moved on
The past is dead and gone
No, I won't listen
No need to dwell on darker days
I've got joy and love and faith
And when those shadows try to take it all away, I won’t sway
I'll be stronger than the shadows
I am stronger than the shadows.
Copyright Kelsey Gallant, February 3 & 13, 2019
Mason and Julie
Mason and Julie have experienced two extreme traumas that I would never wish on anyone—their mom’s suicide, and abuse at the hands of their dad. These traumas have shaped them both deeply, but manifest themselves in different ways.
Outwardly, Mason appears to be a fairly happy kid. He jokes around with people, works well with Paul, and is always sharing stories about adventures he and his dad have supposedly been on. However, he is quickly becomes upset when things don’t go his way, and he has a lot of difficulty controlling his behavior. Mason is constantly holding in a lot of stress due to past and current situations at home, and when one more stressor is added, no matter how small, he can’t hold it in anymore and the anger he’s been trying to suppress explodes out of him.
Julie is the opposite extreme. She holds a lot of complicated emotions inside her as well, but shows hardly anything on the outside. As is said in Chapter 62, “if Mason’s score had been high on the depression scale, Lauren couldn’t even imagine what Julie’s would be.”
For people who don’t know them, it’s easy to see Mason as nothing but a hotheaded troublemaker, and Julie as an unmotivated slacker with no respect. But these two kids are dealing with things that most adults have never even had to think about. The next time you’re tempted to judge someone based on their behavior, pause for a moment and think about why they might be acting that way. Everyone has a reason for the way they behave.
Outwardly, Mason appears to be a fairly happy kid. He jokes around with people, works well with Paul, and is always sharing stories about adventures he and his dad have supposedly been on. However, he is quickly becomes upset when things don’t go his way, and he has a lot of difficulty controlling his behavior. Mason is constantly holding in a lot of stress due to past and current situations at home, and when one more stressor is added, no matter how small, he can’t hold it in anymore and the anger he’s been trying to suppress explodes out of him.
Julie is the opposite extreme. She holds a lot of complicated emotions inside her as well, but shows hardly anything on the outside. As is said in Chapter 62, “if Mason’s score had been high on the depression scale, Lauren couldn’t even imagine what Julie’s would be.”
For people who don’t know them, it’s easy to see Mason as nothing but a hotheaded troublemaker, and Julie as an unmotivated slacker with no respect. But these two kids are dealing with things that most adults have never even had to think about. The next time you’re tempted to judge someone based on their behavior, pause for a moment and think about why they might be acting that way. Everyone has a reason for the way they behave.
Lauren's Faith STruggle
Lauren has always had a rock-solid faith. Even through her heartbreak over her breakup with Steve, she remained convinced that God had a great plan for her, and that He would eventually lead her to the man He wanted her to marry. When Scott starts teaching something that contradicts with the Bible, Lauren is quick to present the other side, defending her decision to do so even when admonished by her boss.
However, Lauren’s faith is shaken when she learns that Mason and Julie have been being abused. She starts wondering why God would let something like that happen, and questioning whether He was there for them the way she’d always believed He was. Her already-rocky faith is met by another blow when she finds out that Rick is engaged, and therefore not her future husband.
It’s only when she has the conversation with Bobby that her perspective starts turning around. Bobby reminds her that sometimes God’s plan is different from what we would like it to be, but it is always good. Although Lauren still can’t see exactly how things are going to work out, she makes the decision to trust God again. And when she receives the call from the social worker a couple months later, she begins to get a better idea of why things had to happen the way they did.
However, Lauren’s faith is shaken when she learns that Mason and Julie have been being abused. She starts wondering why God would let something like that happen, and questioning whether He was there for them the way she’d always believed He was. Her already-rocky faith is met by another blow when she finds out that Rick is engaged, and therefore not her future husband.
It’s only when she has the conversation with Bobby that her perspective starts turning around. Bobby reminds her that sometimes God’s plan is different from what we would like it to be, but it is always good. Although Lauren still can’t see exactly how things are going to work out, she makes the decision to trust God again. And when she receives the call from the social worker a couple months later, she begins to get a better idea of why things had to happen the way they did.
Rebecca
Rebecca is a pretty typical eighteen-year-old, getting her first taste of independence and wanting to do all the things she’s never done before. Although some people start using alcohol or drugs in a misguided attempt to fix existing problems, this is not the case for Rebecca. Rebecca simply wants to have fun and experience the traditional college party lifestyle.
Rebecca’s decisions get her into trouble when she decides to try DMT at a party. The drug completely messes with her mind, and she goes through several hours of fear and paranoia as it runs its course. Aleah hopes that this experience will convince Rebecca to stop partying, but all it does is convince her to stick with her usual substances of alcohol and marijuana. Even after Rebecca has physically felt the presence of God, she’s unsure of whether she wants to enter into a relationship with Him, because she doesn’t want to give up her partying. Aleah assures her that the relationship piece has to come first, and that as the relationship deepens, Rebecca’s perspective on certain topics will change to align more closely with God’s perspective.
Rebecca’s decisions get her into trouble when she decides to try DMT at a party. The drug completely messes with her mind, and she goes through several hours of fear and paranoia as it runs its course. Aleah hopes that this experience will convince Rebecca to stop partying, but all it does is convince her to stick with her usual substances of alcohol and marijuana. Even after Rebecca has physically felt the presence of God, she’s unsure of whether she wants to enter into a relationship with Him, because she doesn’t want to give up her partying. Aleah assures her that the relationship piece has to come first, and that as the relationship deepens, Rebecca’s perspective on certain topics will change to align more closely with God’s perspective.
|
Do you have your own comments about tough stuff in this book?
Fill out the contact form below! |
|
|
|
The cover on the left is the Kindle cover, and the one on the right is the print cover. Note the differences in coloring-- the Kindle cover was the original design, but while it looked really good on the computer, those exact colors would not print well, so the coloring needed to be adjusted for the print version.
Go to the New Chance summary page
“You thought God’s plan would be giving you what you want. But sometimes God gives us something even better than what we want.”
-Bobby, p. 357
