Through Her Eyes: A Creative Expression of Relationships Through the Eyes of a Christian Woman

By Debbie-Ann Dyer

We were not created to live independent of each other. Yet, it is within the very construct of relationships that we find so many challenges.

Sarah is a Christian member of a church in a rural community. She is John's wife and the mother of John Jnr and Tabitha. As Sarah grapples with the various life roles - active church member

• Language: English
• Publisher: Trilogy Christian Publishing
• Release date: Jun 6, 2022
• ISBN: 9781685560232

Debbie-Ann Dyer

Debbie-Ann Dyer is a Christian writer and motivational speaker who hails from Williamsfield, St. Elizabeth, Jamaica. She currently resides in Ontario, Canada. She has been married for twenty-one years, and writing became her way of escape as she struggled with the relational issues life threw at her. She continues to fulfill her promise to God to declare His words as she lay on the side of the road after a terrible accident in December 2002.

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ENDORSEMENTS

I think it is very valuable, relevant, interesting, inspiring/motivating, and extremely revealing. The level of humility and truth that echoed from the chapters transcends the natural response of jolting readers to take action in their own reality. The exhortations add value especially to the content and serve as encouragement, empowerment, gives perspective, and serve as a voice for members of the church who are struggling and need hope.

— Pastor Gregory Simpson

It makes good reading, and I am sure persons will be helped just by reading it.

— Lorena Robinson

I was immersed in the lives of the characters and experienced deep emotions as the story unfolded. I went through many emotions — happy at some points, sad at others, angry, and even teary-eyed at other points. The book illicited a range of emotions. I enjoyed every reflection, poem, and thought expressed through Sarah’s eyes and the members of her family.

— Nadralee Smith

I enjoyed reading the book, it caught and held my attention at times and compelled me to continue reading. The characters were alive and active, and it kept me wanting to see how each scene would play out. The language was simple, easy to read and understand. I enjoyed the poems; they were appropriately placed to stimulate the imagination and prepare the mind for the next chapter.

— Adlin Smith

It was a great read. I always imagined Christian authors to be boring. Your book is the first book I’ve read from a Christian author, and I wasn’t let down. I hope every other book I take up will be just as interesting and informative.

— Troy Aikman

This book reveals the hidden truths of many Christian women which they are too timid to share.

— Dahlia Salmon

I thoroughly enjoyed reading the book. As a young unmarried Christian person who aspires to be married and have a family of my own in the near future, there are so many lessons I can learn from this book.

— Nastassia Aikman

The book is an eye-opener to social issues that exist in Christendom with enough spiritual content to guide us to resolve. It offers an interesting perspective from the different age groups and genders within the family. The book is an exciting read!!!!

— Adrienne Pinnock

The book is a representation of the lives of many women in Christendom, the issues they face and wish they could speak about but are too afraid to do so because of the potential backlash from the religious community.

— Jodine Williams

The book epitomizes the true meaning of Matthew 7:1. Rather than being satirical, the author skillfully adorns the weakness of the characters in a lesson-filled story to strengthen the moral character of the aspiring Christian or Christian practitioner. If you ask me to summarize it all, the book shows that we have all, at some point in our lives, fallen short of the mark, and we are not always guiltless.

— Delroy Dyer

Kudos to you, Debbie-Ann, for writing another inspiring book, allowing your readers to experience a sacred portion of your life. Although Through Her Eyes exemplifies the title, I was still able to ingest a lot of positive and insightful wisdom.

— Fabian Jn Baptiste

The novel relates to real-life situations faced by a woman of God who is trying to be faithful and true to both God and the marriage but yet feels alone, neglected, rejected, and left in despair.

— Allison Millwood

A fascinating read. Quite an eye-opener for a non-Christian, as it highlights how very similar our thoughts and experiences may be even with different religious beliefs. Thank you for being so brave and allowing us to see through your eyes. Women from all backgrounds will relate!

— Nardea Drummond

Frighteningly truthful! The riveting, emotionally charged storyline produced introspection, caused confession and acceptance, yet it elicited much hope. The poetry breaks up the monotony from traditional books and keeps the reader interested.

— Ardeen Monteith Williams

Trilogy Christian Publishers

A Wholly Owned Subsidiary of Trinity Broadcasting Network

2442 Michelle Drive

Tustin, CA 92780

Copyright © 2022 by Debbie-Ann Dyer

All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise noted, 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 (KJV) taken from The Holy Bible, King James Version. Cambridge Edition: 1769.

All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book or portions thereof in any form whatsoever.

For information, address Trilogy Christian Publishing

Rights Department, 2442 Michelle Drive, Tustin, Ca 92780.

Trilogy Christian Publishing/ TBN and colophon are trademarks of Trinity Broadcasting Network.

For information about special discounts for bulk purchases, please contact Trilogy Christian Publishing.

Manufactured in the United States of America

Trilogy Disclaimer: The views and content expressed in this book are those of the author and may not necessarily reflect the views and doctrine of Trilogy Christian Publishing or the Trinity Broadcasting Network.

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available.

ISBN 978-1-68556-022-5

ISBN 978-1-68556-023-2 (ebook)

Dedication

This book is dedicated to:

My dear family and friends, who inspired me to continue writing and impacting lives.

All my valued readers. I pray that you will be positively impacted and moved to create the change you want to see.

Acknowledgments

I am extremely grateful and must give honor to God for the inspiration and for enabling me to complete this project. Gratitude is limited in its meaning regarding the encouragement and help of my family that journeyed with me through the process. Mention must be made of my church family that was pivotal in bringing this book to life. Friends and loved ones that invested their time and effort into reading the rough draft and providing feedback, thank you very much. Your input served to improve the final product, which is highly appreciated.

Table of Contents

Heavenly Bliss

The Awakening

The Colossal Fall

The Façade

The Escape

The Struggle Continues

Untimely Death

Naked Truth Unveiled

The Move

Betrayal

John’s Role

Innocent Victims

Secrets Revealed

The Plot Thickens

Cry for Help

Tabitha’s Tale

Overwhelming Dilemma

Reconciliation?

John Jnr’s Justice

Interesting Days Ahead

Foreword

Some of the things you are about to discover in this book, Through Her Eyes: A Creative Expression of Relationships by Debbie-Ann Dyer, may not be new to you, but I hope that the intriguing, empowering, and sobering content will leave you sitting on the edge of your seats, breathless panting for more and feeling a much better person as it did me.

Mrs. Debbie-Ann Dyer, a phenomenal, independent woman, has utilized her analytical, critical, and creative skills to deliver this very mind-provoking book that every woman should read. Debbie, in a most skillful way, unpacked the varying layers of complicated grief triggers such as death, betrayal, narcissistic patterns of behaviors, brutal separation, and broken relationships, which haunts and held bound many women and families who would wish to be able to navigate their way through those circumstances. Yet, she was able to punctuate the narration with beautiful memories of moments to treasure as the legacy of a well-lived life.

This book is not for you if you are stuck in a whirlwind of trauma resulting from the negative impact of unhealthy relationships and unhealed pain and trauma and are resistant to change. It is, however, a must-read for you who have recognized your current state and might be feeling unmotivated to leap into your best self. If you are willing to practice micro shifts and positive-habit-stocking toward a healthier and more fulfilling way of life, this is your personal guide. This experience will leave you feeling loved, worthy, and understood. It will also provide snippets on how the remarkable love of God protects, heals, and guides as you seek to intentionally treat with the pain of your past through her eyes.

Debbie-Ann, for all the years I have known you, you never fail to deliver at your best and produce work of the highest quality. This is just one other testimonial of the anointing and sacred value God has on your life and the treasure you are to humanity.

— Dr. Grace A. Kelly

Grief and Bereavement Therapist-Coach

Introduction

Relationships: the need for companionship, association, affiliation, help, support, and love. We were made to inter-relate, copulate, form bonds and alliances. We were not created to live independent of each other but to co-exist. Relationships, varied and with different objectives, social or intimate, personal or professional, make living interesting! Relationships forged with different people, loved ones, family or relatives, friends, church brothers and sisters, life partners, business partners, co-workers, or acquaintances require a different set of skills. The bottom line is that we need an active, effective, and functional network to survive. We need each other!

This groundbreaking yet obvious realization sparked my interest and revealed that it is within the very construct of relationships that we seem not to be able to live without; we find so many problems. Yet, it seems we cannot live without them. The number of marriages in the church, which end in separation and divorce, are too many for comfort among people who profess to be the examples of the God of love. Are we truly doing our part to ensure that our relationships are successful? What value have we placed on them being functional for the good of each involved? How important is it that, as couples, we function as a unit? The greatest love story ever told was scripted in the Holy Book. Isn’t it a baffle that some of us who claim to be followers of the Great Author and students of His lessons fail miserably in the application of the Word?

It is my hope that as you read Sarah’s account of some issues faced in relationships, you will find within these pages another reason to put your shoulder to the wheel to save your marriage, your family, and your relationships. My inspiration came from my own experiences — those I lived or simply observed as an innocent bystander. These episodes are interwoven in poetry, as the story is told through the eyes of Sarah about the journey of her family, her God, and her quest to embrace her God-given role in life. God clearly states in His word His vision for man, in the Garden of Eden after He made man and woman in Genesis 1:28, And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.

To ensure there are no ambiguities, God clarified His position by outlining the modus operandi in 1 Corinthians 11, Ephesians 5, and 1 Peter 3. Let us allow God to get the glory, for He can fix that which is broken, restore joy where there is sadness and provide a bright future amid gloom. His love influenced the redemptive plan of man through Jesus’ blood at Calvary. His love will create positive changes in our relationships if we let Him.

God’s Love

A love so rich, a love so true,

A love so unselfish and fit for me and you,

That’s God’s love.

In His divinity and serenity,

It’s so overwhelmingly perfect.

That’s God’s love.

It is the only one in its class.

It is the one that no other can outlast.

That’s God’s love.

It is from the beginning,

And it will be to the end.

That’s God’s love.

It is the one that’s so unfeigned.

Throughout eternity it will reign.

That’s God’s love.

As we reflect on God’s love and allow it to permeate our being, through our circumstances, let us not fail in worshipping Him for who He is. He is indeed a great God. He is in control. He deals in the affairs of men, and He remembers His own.

How Great Thou Art

When I see the stream cascading to meet the river,

And the river meandering to meet the deep blue sea,

Then I must say with assurance,

My God, how great thou art!

When I see the stony hills stand like a strong man,

And the great mountain filled with varied trees,

Then in awe, I must exclaim,

My God, how great thou art!

When I look at the lush,