Author Spotlight: Out of the Darkroom, Into the Light

      Let me introduce you to the author of Out of the Darkroom, Into the Light: Tracey Casciano is a passionate speaker and writer who is ready to shine a light for Jesus. She shines that light through encouraging words as a blogger, speaker, and writer to help others who may be suffering or doubting themselves on their current path in life.  After a childhood with an alcoholic mother and abusive father, her love for the Lord helped rise above her past. She describes this in her book, “Out of the Darkroom, Into the Light: A Story of Faith and Forgiveness After Child Abuse." She is happily married and in the midst of raising four wonderful sons. Tracey has a background in Special Education, has been a missionary in Guatemala and the Dominican Republic. Join her on her blog http://ephesians2v8.wordpress.com.

Out of the Darkroom, Into the Light  is  Tracey's powerful testimony and journey of faith. In this book,  she chronicles how her search for God and eventual relationship with Jesus helped her survive a life of emotional and physical abuse from her  parents. She wrote the book after feeling God leading her  to share her story to help others who have struggled with similar issues, particularly with forgiveness. Her book is available on her website www.traceycasciano.com and also on Amazon and Barnes and Noble.com.  

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One Sunday morning in the spring of 2013, I sat in church listening to a friend lead the band in worship.  So while I am far from a good singer, I did my best to join in. Next to me, my husband sat smiling and singing, and as I scanned the auditorium, I recognized many faces. I felt welcomed and happy to be there as part of this congregation that had become my church family.

When the worship music ended, I sat down and looked at the program laid out for this morning’s service. Before the pastor’s message even started, I’d taken note of the title and could feel my heartbeat quicken. “FORGIVENESS,” it read in large capital letters.

As the pastor began speaking, I felt as though a spotlight was on me. Nothing else was in focus. The pastor was talking directly to me. He read out a Scripture passage: “If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you (Matthew 6:14 NLT).”

I started sweating and felt as though I couldn’t breathe. I broke away my gaze from the pastor and looked around to see if anyone was looking at me. Giving my husband a weak smile, I thought to myself, “How could I possibly forgive my parents for all the pain they caused me as a young girl? They don’t deserve it.”

As the pastor’s message continued, I began to fidget and move around in my seat. After years of carrying my burden and hurt from a life with an alcoholic mother and abusive father, I didn’t want to forgive them. I felt that would be letting them off too easily. By the time the service ended, my stomach was in knots. As my husband and I left the church with our four sons and walked to our car, my husband noticed my silence.

“Are you okay?” he asked me quietly.

I waited until we had arrived back home and had some privacy before I told him, “I think the pastor was speaking directly to me. I am supposed to forgive my parents. But how? Why?”