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| Break The Chains by Jay D. Roberts, MD |
1999 found Dr. Jay Roberts in at-home hospice care preparing for his death from a neurological disease. At the point where he finally gave up, he experienced a spontaneous, overnight healing. It was not the first time he had “cheated” death. He had survived a fifty-foot fall from a cliff, a plane crash, and attempts on his life by rebel insurgents in remote areas in the Philippines in 1970s. This near-death escape was different though, because it was the culmination of a turbulent lifelong dialogue with God which started when he was a child being bull-whipped by his alcoholic father. Yet even after his complete recovery from disease, it would take a maximum security prison environment to reveal to him the mysterious power of forgiveness.
In the telling of his fascinating story—of extreme abuse, of the compulsion to become a pain and wound care specialist, of medical school in a third world country against a dangerous political backdrop, and of his return home to deal with the demons he’d left behind—Dr. Roberts tackles the big questions illuminating physical, mental, and spiritual growth. Break the Chains affirms faith in both God and the human spirit. It is as revealing and inspirational as it is truthful and poignant.
Author: Jay D Roberts, MD
Genre: Memoir
Publisher: Tate Publishing and Enterprises, LLC
Dr. Roberts has some inspirational words to share with us -
THE
POSITIVE EFFECTS OF FORGIVENESS:
Forgive and break the chains that
have bound you for years. The weight of hatred will lift from your shoulders.
Old festering wounds will begin to heal. You will be set free.
HOW
DOES ONE GO ABOUT LEARNING TO FORGIVE:
For me, I had to understand to
forgive did not mean to forget. I was told for years, “forgive and forget.” But
I could not forget. Therefore I never forgave.
I also thought if I forgave, I
would have to love that person I hated. Not true.
To
forgive does not mean you must love that person or even like them. I have
forgiven my father, but I will never forget or love him. But I no longer hate
him.
I had to forgive God. I had
prayed for years as a child for God to help, but He did not. So I first thought
He did not exist, and later figured I was not good enough to be loved by Him,
therefore I deserved to be abused.
Yes, I had to forgive myself. I
had to learn to like myself.
To forgive you must break down
the wall of unforgiveness that holds you hostage, imprisoned. The stones of the
wall include hatred, pride, fear, pity, and many more.
To forgive may not be a one-time event.
You may be tempted to rebuild your wall. I was. I had to pray daily and get
into the Scripture—to get strength and stay on the path of forgiveness,
believing Jesus forgave me and I must forgive.
For some forgiveness seems
impossible. It took me thirty-two years after the death of my father to forgive.
My father never heard the three words, “I forgive you.”
I pray you do not wait too long.
Forgive and be set free.
About the Author:
Jay D Roberts MD is a board-certified physiatrist, specializing in the treatment of physical disabilities with a focus of adding quality to life. He is currently in private practice in California. He is a member and lecturer at national and international conferences related to his specialty, a contributing author to Current Trends in Physiatry, and author of various scientific papers. In addition to his career, Dr. Roberts volunteers as part of a Christian ministry in maximum security prisons. He and his wife, parents of two grown sons, live in Indian Wells, California. Break the Chains is Dr. Roberts’ first book.
Following in the long tradition of doctors who combine their passion for saving lives with their passion for writing, Dr. Roberts is currently at work on a novel, concerning children forced to work in mines.
Please leave a comment to welcome Dr. Roberts to Books Gone Viral.
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