Many of us have painful memories of past hurts. But how do we deal with these when they create negative beliefs and choices that still impact our lives today?

Through her own experiences of woundedness and healing, Tracy Williamson knows that God’s love can cover everything that happens in our lives, however dark or devastating. In her new book, Unashamed, Tracy uses personal testimony, biblical teaching and prophetic words, to help us to see that with God’s help we no longer need to be entrenched in old ways of thinking, anxiety or shame, but can walk free in Christ.

Tracy, can you tell us a little about yourself?

I am a single lady, living in Southeast England with my friend and ministry partner Marilyn Baker, who is blind. I am deaf and visually impaired myself, so we make a good team! Marilyn writes and sings her own Christian songs and has been ministering in the UK and abroad for over 40 years. I joined her in 1986, initially as her assistant on the road, but my role has evolved over the years and alongside supporting Marilyn, I now do the teaching in our conferences and events and write books and other resources. We pray together for many who have come through very difficult things in their lives and our passion is to see people draw close to God and discover his immense love for themselves.

Why did you decide to write Unashamed?

I was praying and felt the Lord put on my heart to write a book sharing my own story of abuse and personal struggle, yet also my deep experience of inner transformation. I wanted it to be a book that could be a rich resource and offer hope that, however deep a person’s brokenness, there is nothing that God cannot turn around and make beautiful.

Who have you written this book for?

It is for everyone who longs to know the healing power of God’s love and become free of the crippling effects of fear, shame, hatred and woundedness. It is for all those who cannot accept themselves and believe they should never have been born. It is for all who feel crushed by regret, or by the ugliness of other’s words and actions. It is also for all who long to go deeper into God’s heart, understand his love and have the keys to reach out to others with his love and compassion – i.e. for anyone involved in prayer ministry, counselling or drawing alongside others.

What makes this book different from other books on the subject?

There are many books on inner transformation and wholeness, and when I started, I felt the Lord wanted me to write from the perspective of his heart of love and joy in us as his beloved children. This has a devotional, God focused ethos that is different to the books that are more focused on the specific effects of different areas of brokenness.

Also, I felt it needed to be very real – I knew I couldn’t write about anything I hadn’t personally experienced, and I also know the power of personal story is huge. So Unashamed is full of stories, both mine and other peoples, and Bible characters shown in a fresh way. It even has some fictional, nature inspired stories of transformation. These are written like parables and have a great message of God’s work to make all things beautiful.

Another area that makes it unique is that I actually heard God speaking prophetically as I was writing it, with words and pictures for the reader to bring his healing specifically to an area of need in their lives. This makes it stand out as different and enables the reader to connect directly into God’s heart for them.

You share some deeply personal stories about your own journey to healing and restoration. Can you share one moment that speaks of God’s inner healing in your own life?

One of the most devastating aspects of my own brokenness was all the verbal abuse I experienced throughout my childhood. Hearing daily that I was rubbish, mental, stupid, lazy, perverted etc deeply scarred my sense of identity, making me live in permanent shame. But one day at a church service God spoke into my heart with great love and power. The pastor had been teaching on our true names in God and I suddenly ‘heard’ God whispering a most amazing name into my heart: ‘Daughter of Mercy.’ In that moment all the ugly clamour of the negatives fell away before the truth that to God I was ‘Wanted Daughter’; cherished and loved and with a purpose to give his mercy away to all I met. That moment was life changing.

You include prophetic words for the reader throughout the book. Why was it so important to you to include these?

I had to share them because they came straight from his heart as I was writing. I would be making a teaching point or telling a story and suddenly a picture or a message would open up in my heart. God, the One who sees and knows all things, knew how a certain reader in the days ahead would be struggling and gave me a word that will bring them hope or healing. I found it awe inspiring and deeply humbling that he was trusting me to share such messages.

What one piece of encouragement/ advice would you give to someone today who feels unseen, unnoticed or uncared for by others or God?

God sees you. You matter to him so much that he died so you could belong to him and know and experience his love. You can never be out of the reach of his love. Call out to him and express your pain and your longing to him. Ask him to help you and to lead you to people that can help you too. Read Psalm 139 and know that you have always been loved.

What was the most challenging element of writing the book?

It was all challenging because it was so real and personal! I share in the book how I tried to run away from writing it because of my own fragility. I was seeing it as something I would inevitably fail at, but God wanted me to face it together with him, and that the actual writing of it would be part of my own healing journey. That was such wisdom and godly counsel but still very challenging.

And what was the most rewarding element of writing this book?

The joy of realising the immensity of God’s love for us and desire for us to know his love. The last sentence I wrote was an awesome moment of understanding - ‘I am Unashamed.’ That I could end on that note was just amazing.

Have you learnt anything new/ been reminded afresh about your own personal journey with God while writing this book?

I’ve been reminded that my healing journey, like everyone’s, is ongoing. God is always at work within me to make me more free, whole and transparent. I may take great strides at one time and virtually come to a halt at another, but God will never let go of me. I am always safe in his love. The keys of inner transformation I’ve shared in this book are keys I’m needing to keep growing in myself. It is as much for me as anyone else and that is a joy.

What do you hope readers will most get out of reading this book?

That they will discover the healing power of God’s love and know they are not alone in their pain and struggle. My prayer is that they’ll experience God’s deep and certain hope that whatever their background or situation, there is an open door into a new journey and a new story.

In one sentence, how would you describe Unashamed?

Unashamed is a song that fills your senses with its message of love, creating joy out of the ashes of despair, and birthing the beauty of courage and freedom.

Is there anything we can pray for you?

Please pray I have wisdom to know how to share this healing resource the best way. That I recognise doors of opportunity and indeed that doors will be opened for me to share and for it to get to those who need it most.