Vaneetha writes with creativity, biblical faithfulness, compelling style, and an experiential authenticity that draws other sufferers in. Here you will find both a tested life and a love for the sovereignty of a good and gracious God.
JOHN PIPER , author of Desiring God ; founder and teacher, desiringGod.org
The Scars That Have Shaped Me will make you weep and rejoice not just because it brims with authenticity and integrity, but because every page points you to the rest that is found in entrusting your life to one who is in complete control and is righteous, powerful, wise, and good in every way.
PAUL TRIPP , pastor, author, international conference speaker
I could not put this book down, except to wipe my tears. Reading Vaneethas testimony of Gods kindness to her in pain was exactly what I needed; no doubt, many others will feel the same. The Scars That Have Shaped Me has helped me process my own grief and loss, and given me renewed hope to care for those in my life who suffer in various ways. Reveling in the sovereign grace of God in your pain will bolster your faith like nothing this world can offer, and Vaneetha knows how to lead you to this living water.
GLORIA FURMAN , author of Missional Motherhood and Alive in Him
When we are suffering significantly, its hard to receive truth from those who havent been there. But Vaneetha Risners credibility makes us willing to lean in and listen. Her writing is built on her experience of deep pain, and in the midst of that her rugged determination to hold on to Christ.
NANCY GUTHRIE , author of Hearing Jesus Speak into Your Sorrow
I have often wondered how Vaneetha Risner endures suffering with such amazing joy, grace, and perseverance. I still dont understand that, but this book has given me a new glimpse into her world and into the character of our loving God. Raw, transparent, terrifying, and yet amazingly hopeful, The Scars That Have Shaped Me can provide strength for the journey regardless of your situation.
BRIAN FIKKERT , co-author of When Helping Hurts: How to Alleviate Poverty Without Hurting the Poor... and Yourself
When Im in a hard place and needing to draw deeply into God, I want to hear from someone who knows and understands. Someone whos been there. I can think of no better voice than Vaneetha Risners. In both the sudden crisis and the long, relentless daily struggle, Vaneethas insights have been purchased in the fire of adversity. So I listen. She leads through a door that comforts my soul and straightens my spineI am in her debt. You will be, too, as you drink deeply the wisdom she has to offer.
PAULA RINEHART , author of Strong Women, Soft Hearts and Sex and the Soul of a Woman
In the unfathomable logic of Gods wisdom, this faithful woman with increasingly weakening physical strength has, of all the people I know, the most secure grip on Gods steadfast faithfulness and reliability. Her faith has helped me weather the storms in my own life, and the words in these pages will do the same for you. Vaneetha Risner is the real deal.
MARGOT STARBUCK , author of The Girl in the Orange Dress: Searching for a Father Who Does Not Fail
Its hard to find words to express how vitally important Vaneethas testimony has been in the shaping of my life and faith. She has walked uniquely hard roads and ventured into deep spiritual waters, yet always welcomes fellow travelers like me. These pages are full of vulnerability and hope, rooted not in optimism but in the real-life experience of Gods faithfulness in suffering. It is truly oxygen to get a glimpse of Gods face through Vaneethas eyes.
CHRISTA WELLS , singer, songwriter
In The Scars That Have Shaped Me , Vaneetha proves to be an able guide who can lead us through the valleys of tragedy and hardship with both grace and truth as she unveils the brilliant and redemptive power of God in the darkness of human misery. As her friend and pastor for many years, I can personally testify that the paths on which Vaneetha will lead the reader she has faithfully walked herself. She invites us all to see Gods sovereign and good glory in times of testing and struggle.
TOM MERCER , Senior Pastor, Christ Covenant Church, Raleigh
The Scars That Have Shaped Me accomplishes the nearly impossible: Vaneetha tells her story of sufferingwhich has been, and still is, largewithout drawing us into her pain. Instead, by grace and wisdom she guides us to find the way through our own sufferings into the heart of God. Somehow she lays out her story of gut-kicking suffering while captivating us with her experience of the goodness of God in the midst of her pain. The result? Our hearts are emboldened to trust and submit to Jesus. Her book is a gift to those who suffer, and to those who walk alongside them.
SALLY BREEDLOVE , Spiritual Director, Cofounder of JourneyMates, Author and Speaker
The Scars That Have Shaped Me: How God Meets Us in Suffering
Copyright 2016 by Vaneetha Rendall Risner
Published by Desiring God
2112 Broadway St NE, Suite 150
Minneapolis, Minnesota 55413
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publisher, except as provided for by USA copyright law.
Cover design: Amy Bristow
Typesetting: Ryan Leichty
First printing 2016
Printed in the United States of America
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV Bible
( The Holy Bible, English Standard 2001 by Crossway).
Scripture quotations marked RSV are taken from the Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright 1946, 1952, and 1971 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations marked NIV are taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION, NIV Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Scripture quotations marked NLT are taken from the Holy Bible , New Living Translation, copyright 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations marked GW are taken from GODS WORD ,
1995 Gods Word to the Nations. Used by permission of
Baker Publishing Group.
All emphases in Scripture quotations have been added by the author.
To Shalini
Without you, not a chapter in this book would exist, for you have pointed me to Christ in the darkest days, encouraged me to record Gods love and faithfulness, and edited every word Ive written.
CONTENTS
Foreword by Joni Eareckson Tada
Look on my affliction and deliver me, for I do not forget your law. (Psalm 119:153)
Joni Eareckson Tada
Before You Begin
Most people think that living with quadriplegia would be utterly overwhelming. And theyre right. It is. Shortly after I broke my neck, I met a young man in rehab who told me he had been in a wheelchair for eight years. I gulped, pushing down the panic in my throat. To me, eight weeks of paralysis seemed impossible. But eight years?! It was unimaginable to me, a spinal-cord injured teenager who still retched at the thought of living life sitting down.
But that was decades ago. I can hardly believe Ive been living without use of my hands or legs for almost 50 years. I still look back and wonder, how did I make it to this point? And how have I done it, for the most part, with a smile? Even after all this time, total paralysis still seems impossible.
