Destined to Live Despite
Me
Biblical Truths for Suicide Survivors
Yolanda Shanks
www.believerspress.com
ISBN: 978-0-578-05468-1
144 pages (Includes front and back matter)
www.YolandaShanks.com
As I read Destined to Live Despite Me by
Yolanda Shanks, the pages came alive with a renewed and wondrous
confirmation of the power and presence of God’s love. The author, at
the age of fourteen, was pregnant and believed that she faced a hopeless
situation so she attempted to take her own life. Thank God this suicide
attempt failed and her life went on to bear much fruit that would feed
many hungry souls. This book is a portion of that fruit and, although
written for survivors of suicide, it will inspire and help all
individuals who are facing trials and tribulations. Whether or not a
person has accepted God’s gift of love through the acceptance of His
son, Jesus Christ, this book will impact his or her life if read with an
open mind and a desire for true happiness and peace. The more we learn
of God’s love, the better we understand ourselves. As readers follow the
author on her journey toward salvation and Christian growth, they will
cry for what she endured and rejoice because she is an overcomer.
While in the hospital from her suicide attempt,
this frightened and lonely girl remembers the details of her
experience. She also recalls one of her older sisters telling the
doctor that an abortion was not what Yolanda needed. Once released, the
teenager went home with this sister who lived with an older lady, a
compassionate Christian woman with a ministering heart. She cared for
Yolanda, both physically and spiritually. She introduced her to Jesus
Christ and soon, thereafter, Yolanda accepted Him as her Lord and
Savior. Yolanda did not have an abortion but gave birth to a son.
What I like most about this book is the honesty
with which it is written. Yolanda Shanks admits that everything did not
go perfect in her life after this, but she says emphatically that she
learned and grew in her Christian walk through the difficult times as
well as the good ones. She teaches her readers that choosing to live a
Christian life is just like preparing for a hurricane. If their belief
system is based on a solid foundation of hope in God, then this hope
will keep them rooted during their personal hurricanes of trials and
tribulations. The author also discusses evolution VS. Creation, faith,
hope, prayer, our Creator’s love for us, the Trinity (I loved her
illustration of this), free will, why we were created, trusting God in
all situations, our armor for battle, studying the Word of God, etc.
There is so much life-changing material in this book that readers will
want to read it several times, absorbing the information and rejoicing
in the truths that are presented. The author emphasizes that she is not
perfect—that as a saved person who has achieved personal success—she
still makes mistakes. According to Scripture none of us are without sin;
however, she and all true believers have perfection in Christ. You feel
the joy of Yolanda’s life on earth as well as her certainty of eternal
life. She knows that she is greatly loved by God, and this gives her a
great sense of self-worth, erasing the shame and guilt of her past. She
wants us to know that we too can be set free by this love and what was
accomplished at the Cross.
All the teachings of Destined to Live Despite Me
are backed up by Scripture. In writing this book, the author makes it
clear that individuals struggling with suicidal thoughts should get help
from a qualified professional. She provides resources for assistance and
information as well as a list of recommended readings. Her book is
intended to deal with life as a suicide survivor—how to deal with the
“afterward” of such a sad time in one’s life. But, again, I must
emphasize that this book is for all people as they seek to build a
foundation that will withstand the hurricanes of life that will surely
come. I highly recommend it as a “must read.” It is well-written,
personal, holds one’s interest all the way through, is not “preachy,”
and truly speaks of love, faith, and hope.
Bettie
Corbin Tucker
For Independent Book Reviewers
www.bookreviewers.org
November 7, 2010
