The Wounded Spirit

By Frank E. Peretti

Book Overview

If you've ever been there, you've never forgotten. The feeling is as haunting and familiar as the smellof a junior high school locker room.It's the feeling of being undersized or oversized or klutzy or less than beautiful. Of being a nerd or a geek or just, somehow, different.It's knowing you are vulnerable-and someone is ready and willing to take full advantage of your weakness by making your life miserable.It's the fraternity you never wanted to join-the fellowship of the wounded spirit.And bestselling novelist Frank Peretti is a member, too. This book is the haunting true story of pain Frank Peretti never forgot but never, until recently, shared with the world. It's the story of growing up with a medical condition that left him disfigured. A series of surgeries and the slow miracle of answered prayer took care of the deformity, but not the underdeveloped frame or the excruciating reality of being different. And it was for these petty "crimes" that Peretti was prosecuted every day at school-especially in gym class, but also in the halls, on the school grounds, even in his own neighborhood. No wonder he found himself relating to movie monsters who were hated but also feared-and who eventually exacted a bloody revenge on their tormentors In Peretti's case, deliverance eventually came-through time, through prayer, through a teacher's caring intervention, and his own willingness to seek help. But he has never forgotten what life was like at the bottom of the junior high food chain. And from the reservoir of those agonizing memories he sends a compelling message to victims, to bullies, and to authorities who have the power to intervene-that it's never OK for the strong to abuse the weak. And that we allow such abuse at the expense of our souls and our very civilization.Especially in the wake of the massacre at Columbine High School-perpetuated by two troubled but also tormented outsiders--this message takes on haunting resonance. Frank Peretti believes we cannot afford to overlook the continuing reality of wounded spirits, not only in our schools, but in our homes, churches, and workplaces. His approach is both tender and tough as he issues a ringing call for a change in attitude.It's a call for all of us to stop thinking of abuse as "normal," even among kids.It's a call for the strong to stand up and protect the weak, not prey upon them.It's a call for those in authority to pay attention to the violence being done to the vulnerable in the midst of our everyday lives and to take action to help. Most of all, it's a call for bullies and victims alike (many of us are both) to seek the healing and forgiveness offered in Jesus Christ. For that healing is really the heart of this book-the only reality that can break the natural cycle of victimization and abuse.Only in Christ, Peretti reminds, is there hope for the wounded spirits-but that hope is powerful enough to change everything."

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0849916739
• ISBN13: 9780849916731
• Release Date: January 2000
• Publisher: Thomas Nelson
• Length: 220 Pages
• Weight: 0.66 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 5.3" x 7.7"

Customer Reviews

A MESSAGE OF HEALING

Frank Peretti's fame as a Christian horror writer can easily be understood once you read this soul-baring, heart-rendering account of his early life. Focusing somewhat on the tragedy at Columbine, Peretti tells us of his own wounded spirit at the hands of bullies and insensitive people during his school days. Peretti relates the story of the night of his birth, when his father had to replace a tire in a raging snowstorm. The faith his parents have in God is awesome and he uses a quite unusual object to aid in his repair of the wheel.Peretti is never self-pitying, and he offers some really wonderful insight into the reason bullying is such a devastating occurrence to a withdrawn, self-conscious young male. I'm sure many male readers can share in the terrors that awaited the "different" in phys ed class and the showers.Peretti then goes on to suggest ways we can heal our wounded spirits, and stand up for what we believe in. He also tells us that when we wound, we too should ask for forgiveness.This is not a preachy book, it is well written, and it can be read easily in one or two sittings. It's a joy to read someone who has such faith in his Lord, and is willing to share his past with those who have also been there.HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

An Eye-Opener - No Minced Words Here

My wife found this book and read it. She then asked me to read Chapter 9 and tell her what I thought. Well, I didn't have to think for long. We ended up reading the book cover to cover, aloud, as a family, one chapter per night with discussion afterward. The first few chapters set the stage for the source of his (Peretti's) wounding - physical deformity and being physically smaller than his peers. But with each page, the list of examples of how a spirit can be wounded grows. Do you have a wounded spirit? Can you remember who wounded you? Can you remember whom you have wounded? The answer is yes to all of the questions.There can be a happy ending, and that is the good news. The cure exists for bullies. All it takes is those who have witnessed bullying day after day, year after year, and accepted it as a fact of life, to stand up and say NO. I refuse to accept this behavior. There is no place here for bullies. The few who bully others only survive and flourish because the rest of us stand meekly by and let it happen. With a united front it can end just that quickly. But make no mistake about it, Mr. Peritti accurately points out the fact that quite a number of the bullies are that way themselves (bullies), because they too have had their spirit wounded. This is a must read for anyone who deals with people of all ages on a daily basis: especially school administrators, teachers and classroom aides in the public and private school systems - no school year should begin without a day devoted to this book. But it does not end there. It is an equally important read for administrators and supervisors in the work place, parents with children; the clergy of all faiths; and counselors - individual, group and family. I plan to share this work with the middle school and high school administration, and the county school board. It is that good.

Literary Balm for a Hurting Soul

This book is a MUST for anyone who is involved in any kind of parenting or leadership of children and teen-agers. Mr. Peretti has bared his soul in order to help prevent another incident such as the Columbine High School massacre. It is also literary balm for victims of bullying or abuse, young and old. There is already a strong following as can be seen by going to the Wounded Spirit web site. I encourage everyone to read this book and pass it on; it is time for a change in how we view and treat other people.

This is not fiction. This is real.

As an extremely overweight child (and adult) I suffered through more than my fair share of teasing, taunting, and bullying. When I, with my somewhat volatile temperment, would make some weak attempt at retaliation, I found that I would usually be the one to get punished for it by the "authorities". That was rather confusing to me. Something about that did not seem right. Finally, here is someone with similar experiences with the courage to write about it. Here is someone who agrees with what I knew deep down inside all along, that something is terribly wrong with a society that refuses to take a stand against bullying and abuse, and even implicitly encourages it. Peretti writes this book for the wounded, for those who wound, and for those who have found themselves on both sides of that fence. He writes about the way things could be if society is bold enough to change its mindset and take action. If things don't change, more Columbine-type incidents are inevitable. I hope and pray that this small book inspires more writings on this subject, and more importantly, the healing of thousands of wounded spirits.

The only book on this topic I've seen - READ THIS BOOK!!

Frank Peretti is well-known for novels about spiritual warfare. This is the first non-fiction book he has written and it will impact your life dramatically!!Peretti tells his own story (which he hasn't told openly until only recently) of growing up with a medical condition that left him disfigured and also small and underdeveloped for his age. The first chapter "A Boy's Hell" describes the scene in the boys' locker room when Peretti was in junior high. His story is powerful - you will never forget it! It is brutally honest and it is also hard to read. Your heart goes out to this young boy who has had to endure so much torment at the hands of his peers. The horrific treatment followed him into high school, until finally someone showed an interest in him and in so doing, helped stop the chain of abuse in Peretti's life. The Wounded Spirit is not about only kids being mean and abusive to other kids. This is about our society and how we treat each other. He points out how these problems are also present in adult relationships. He calls the strong people (who might perhaps be the ones being mean) to be the protector of the less strong. Instead of merely telling a moving story and outlining the problem, Peretti has good constructive things that can be done about it. He has advice for the wounded and for the wounders! He has advice for teachers and other adults in charge in those situations where kids are being wounded by other kids. Ultimately, healing can only come through Jesus Christ - through Him, we can break this cycle of victimization and abuse.