LEAVING YESTERDAY BEHIND

A Victim No More

WILLIAM L. HINES

Christian Focus

Cases described in this book

All of the events described in these pages are those which do exist in the lives of actual people. Many of these examples are composites to protect confidentiality. Names and certain details of these composites are changed yet the basic thrust of the stories is true. The reader will, no doubt, find him or herself in many of these stories as we all face similar trials in life (1 Cor. 10:13).

© William L. Hines

ISBN 1 85792 313 8

Published in 1997

Reprinted 2002

by

Christian Focus Publications,

Geanies House, Fearn, Ross-shire,

IV20 1TW, Great Britain.

www.christianfocus.com

Cover design by Alister Macinnes.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication my be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without the prior permission of the publisher or a license permitting restricted copying. In the U.K. such licenses are issued by the Copyright Licensing Agency, 90 Tottenham Court Road, London W1P 9HE.

Contents

Acknowledgments

Introduction to the Second Edition

Introduction

SECTION I : THE PROBLEM

1. What is My Problem and Who is to Blame?

SECTION 2 : THE PROMISE

2. The Promise of Life

SECTION 3 : THE PROCESS

3. Grace for the Journey

4. A New Identity

5. Learning to Change Step 1: Taking Ownership

6. Learning to Change Step 2: Taking Aim

7. Learning to Change Step 3: Taking Action

8. Anger

9. The Dynamics of Forgiveness

10. Avoiding Self-pity

SECTION 4 : THE PURPOSE

11. Loving God With All That You Are

Epilogue: A Victim No More

To Joy Hines

who departed this world

to be with her Lord, March 1994

and to

Robert Hines

who continues the fight without her

but never alone.

Parents who worked hard to make

all my yesterdays a foundation of

hope for the future.

Acknowledgments

I want to thank Malcolm Maclean of Christian Focus Publications for his helpful suggestions and encouragement and to the editorial staff for the willingness and enthusiasm they have shown in taking on this project.

There have been several people who offered editing and content suggestions along the way. I want to thank Deborah Collins, Mark and Karen Hines, Linda Hines, Scott and Peggy Oliphint, Thom Notaro, Jay Adams, John and Grace Dwyer and Robert Hines. Your efforts have been a great blessing to me and I trust to others as well.

Being a person who needs a lot of pushing to get things done I must recognize some key people who kept telling me to ‘Write it!’ Among them were: John Trent, who provided words of encouragement as well as many of the ‘how to’s’ of writing; Howard Eyrich, who I am privileged to have as both a mentor and friend; Scott Oliphint, whose keen mind for theology and passion for its application to life had helped me stay focused on the purpose, and my wife, Kathy, who put up with many late nights and awkward schedules so that the work could be accomplished. ...