Let It Go: A True Story of Tragedy and Forgiveness

by Chris Williams

Overview

On a cold February night in 2007, a devoted father of four and a seventeen-year-old drunk driver both received life sentences. In one violent, devastating instant, both faced a drastically different-and uncertain-future. But as Chris Williams sat in his demolished vehicle, staring at the car that had just caused the death of his wife, his unborn baby, his nine-year-old daughter, and his eleven-year-old son, he committed to do something extraordinary: he would forgive. That decision launched Chris on a journey toward healing that affected his family and friends, the young man who caused the accident, and an entire community-a community that would face another deadly tragedy just a few days later. Chris's message of forgiveness is an empowering invitation to all who have suffered, however unjustly, to lay down their burdens and let it go.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781609071271
Publisher:	Shadow Mountain Publishing
Publication date:	07/30/2012
Pages:	160
Product dimensions:	5.70(w) x 8.60(h) x 0.70(d)
Age Range:	16 Years

About the Author

Chris Williams was born and raised in Salt Lake City, Utah. After serving a mission to Paraguay for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and graduating from the University of Utah, he went to work as an IT architect and systems engineer. He is now an executive with IBM. After the death of his wife, Michelle, and two of their four children, he married Mikkel Fuhriman Jones, a widow with two young children and they have expanded their family with the birth of two daughters. He and his family live in Salt Lake City.

Read an Excerpt

I had no idea who has just hit us, and my mind didn't think to consider if they were all right or not, or what circumstances might have caused them to cross the median and strike us. I simply looked at the car in silence. Then I heard a voice that was not my own in my mind as clearly as if it had come from someone seated next to me. It was straightforward and filled with power, and the voice said, "Let it go!"

Table of Contents

Introduction 1

1 "O Be Wise" 5

2 One Final Lesson 15

3 Four Giving Hearts 19

4 A Terrible Tragedy 24

5 To Be Willing Is to Be Tested 31

6 A Refined Torture 36

7 "Buck Up, Charlie" 43

8 Lean on Me 47

9 Eternal Self-Preservation 55

10 Forgiving Hearts 59

11 Heaven Won't Be Heaven Without… 67

12 Piercing Tragedy with Love 78

13 A Misery Avoided 83

14 "Get Busy Serving Others" 89

15 The Box 95

16 What Have You Lost? 103

17 To Minister with Authenticity 108

18 The Latter More Blessed Than the Beginning 114

19 Healing and Hope 121

20 An Assurance of People as They Can Be 130

21 The Ties That Bind 136

22 A Fresh Perspective 144

Editorial Reviews

"One of the most powerful true stories of forgiveness, redemption, and love that I have ever read!"—Paul Cardall, Billboard-charting recording artist and producer

Paul Cardall

"A beautiful story of pain, loss, and triumph from the heart of a remarkable, faithful man. I highly recommend it to anyone wanting to heal their soul and mend the unmendable."—Dr. Stephen R. Covey, #1 bestselling author of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People

Dr. Stephen R. Covey