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“Wait, you’re writing a book?” “Well, what exactly is your book about?” — My answer today is different than the answer I would have given you at this journey’s beginning. That’s probably because writing was, first and foremost, an act of obedience rather than a passion I could easily or clearly explain.
So, my initial reason may have sounded like, “I’m compelled to bring awareness to moms like you about the child sex trafficking epidemic that daily grows and threatens our children.” What I didn’t know was God would have me first attend to my own chains before I could help someone else.
Unraveled: Mothering Fiercely In A World Full of Fears absolutely brings awareness as my story and statistics set the backdrop. But, the personal narrative God crafted for me was ultimately having to face the question none of us mothers want to answer: “What is your greatest fear for your children and what if that fear became reality?”
As pen went to page, God helped me to pause and ponder in a way that made me finally ask Him the hard questions. These sovereign circumstances invited me to wrestle with Him. This is unraveled -- the term which perfectly depicts the motive, then the process, and now the product of what God has done in me and for me throughout this season and what He longs to do for you.
My process of “unraveling” is a story so unique that I’ve never heard any one person share something like it. However, when a woman shares her journey, I always find that parts of my story align with hers, and I often resonate deeply with her. This relatability is due, in large part, to one of the many biblical truths I point to in Unraveled: every mother suffers from sin’s curse.
“To the woman He said, “I will surely multiply your pain in childbearing; in pain you shall bring forth children.”
It was in studying this passage that I came to realize our lifelong relationship with our children is tainted by sin — not just our delivery room. Sin did not just make birth painful, but motherhood’s pain was birthed.
I now know the consequence of Eve’s sin means that every mom has an inherent concern for her child(ren)’s safety and a desire for their well-being. But, like me, you may have felt the unyielding, internal chaos of that concern becoming fear for whatever reason.
I see mothering as one of my greatest responsibilities, as the children God has given Aaron and me are some of the most precious gifts we have. I take exceedingly good care of that which is precious or valuable to me. So when horrific circumstances back-to-back, like a child sex trafficking attempt, a drowning rescue, a demolishing house fire, and a miscarriage threatened or took the life of each of my five children, I no longer felt secure in my ability, and even God’s ability, to “take care” or protect my valuable children. And, although our family weathered these traumas fairly well in the moment, it was in the aftermath that I crumbled. The circumstances I did not expect or plan for birthed fear.
Deviant and focused, Fear methodically extended his long, bony fingers and began to eerily prod all areas of my motherhood. Maybe you can relate to a simple situation immediately affecting the patterns of your decision making, your persona, your relationships, or even your faith.
My emotions were compounded, however, when I realized that the real, raw data of an atrocity I knew little about were more than “chaotic feelings”, these were facts. If I, as a natural researcher in an intellectually free country, knew so little about the pervasive epidemic that is child sex trafficking and how genuinely vulnerable our American children are to becoming prey, I knew I wasn’t alone.
And because of Eve’s story line, I also knew that every mother would struggle at this intersection of awareness and peace. Especially, if they were already struggling, like I was, at the intersection of reality and redemption.
It is through my journey that I know we can thrive at these intersections. Unraveled is my heartfelt desire to see every mother live liberated from her mom-fears while not crumbling in defeat when tempted by them. And, it is this freedom that frees others.
As believers, we hold the true freedom, the antidote for every atrocity, including child sex trafficking. Yes, I acted in faith when writing Unraveled, and my initial reasoning was to multiply the light God had shone on child sex trafficking through my single, viral social media post. However, from start to finish, God reinforced, “If we want to save a victim, we have to free a victimizer,” and I could not offer freedom until I had grasped it myself.
Starting with that scary day in the grocery store, I share what God wants all of us mothers to know: We don’t mother from “what if.” We focus on “what is.”
God had me endure the unexplainable in order to uniquely qualify me. I give unwavering advice and personal examples that will help you:
Mother completely liberated from your mom-fears and resist crumbling in defeat when tempted by them.
Thrive at the intersection of awareness and peace.
Find healing in the aftermath of trauma by mastering how to mother fiercely.
Cultivate your own narrative of freedom and thereby fulfill God’s intention for you to free others.
For your good and His glory,
Amanda
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