Grace in the Desert
Finding Meaning During Times of Loss
by
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"Christmas 1969, when I was five years old, I received as one of my gifts, a set of markers and a pad of drawing paper. Almost immediately after I received them, I began to furiously draw pictures. Drawing after drawing depicted people from all walks of life: men, women, boys and girls of all nationalities and backgrounds. All of the people had one thing in common: in some way, each of them were hurting. I depicted every single person in my pictures with bandages, casts and crutches.
Right around the same time, my grandfather had passed away. This event really triggered questions in me about life and my existence. I wanted to know where I would go after I died. I began thinking about the world and how it all started. I also began to wonder how humans came into existence. I thought long and hard about all of these things.
I recalled the Christmas that I received the markers and drawing paper. I remember how fervently I drew those pictures. Although I depicted physical ailments, with bandages and crutches, the pictures represented deeper wounds both emotional and spiritual in nature.
I had a strong desire to both encourage and teach others who were hurting. Throughout the years of my childhood, I can see how God nurtured and developed this desire. As I grew up and experienced multiple losses in my own life, I learned first-hand the importance of learning from setbacks and moving on. With each loss, I learned new skills for coping with setbacks. This fueled my desire to help others overcome losses in their lives. As I shared my "story" with others, it became apparent to me that others could benefit from what I had experienced and learned.
Loss is something that no one can avoid. We all on some level, face desert experiences in our lives. It is paramount that we learn early on how to cope effectively with setbacks...
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About the Book
Grace in the Desert is a faith-based book that is both written and illustrated by Kamara L. Marsh MA, LLPC. It is based on a variety of real experiences she encountered throughout her lifetime. She shares with readers about her own personal "ground zero" and expounds on how she was able to find meaning and persevere through every challenge that she has faced. She also recounts a trip she took to the gulf and interviews she conducted with hurricane Katrina survivors. As a licensed professional counselor, she has had the opportunity to conduct numerous interviews with individuals throughout the years who have suffered from loss of one kind or another. She shares with readers the traits that seem to be found in people who are able to work through loss effectively. Ms. Marsh targets any person, any age who has encountered loss of any kind big or small. It is her desire to help others move through the obstacles placed in their lives and overcome them.
About the Author
Kamara was born and raised in Michigan and currently resides in East Lansing with her eleven-year-old son Ricky and dogs Sammy and Max. Known by others as "Kami," she enjoys time spent with her son, long walks with her dogs, trips to Lake Michigan, and involvement with the youth group as well as the worship team at her local church home. She has also been a professional clown for over two decades and enjoys all areas of the arts and is gifted in theatre, dance, music, art and poetry. A desert scene that she painted at the age of eighteen, after a horrific loss she encountered her first year of college, adorns the front cover. Also included at the end of the book, is a poem that she wrote just weeks after the death of her father. Her next writing endeaver includes a corresponding workbook for "Grace in the Desert" to be used in both small groups and bible studies.