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This book was given to Brewing Wisdom from Marie Monville, to share and review for our blog. All opinions are our own.

“If anyone serves me, he must follow me. Where I am, there my servant also will be. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him.”
John 12:26 (CSB)

One Light Still Shines

A few weeks ago, I was having a very difficult time sleeping, and I was getting overwhelmed with things in my personal life.  It was one of those nights where I knew that I wouldn’t fall asleep. I remember sitting up in my bed with my husband sleeping beside me as I scanned the room deep in my thoughts. One of the things I do, when circumstances in life become overwhelming, is I like to read real stories about people who went through trials but still held onto their faith in Jesus. I do this as a reminder to myself about how mighty our savior is when this world tries to knock me down. I love reading about people like this in the Bible, but I also enjoy reading stories about people today in my generation who are still holding onto Jesus through their trials.

As I began to search for stories on the internet one story caught my eye. The Nickel Mines school shooting on October 2, 2006.  Just about a month before this tragedy happened, on September 1, 2006, my family and I stood around my grandfather as he took his last breath on this earth and graduated to glory. The next few months were a blur so I didn’t hear much more about this shooting.

As I began to read the article a little more I was moved by this story. There was a link in the article that directed me to a movie that was made.  I watched the movie and wanted to know more about this story because I knew not all movies tell the entire truth.

After doing some more research I found a book written by Marie Monville.  The book is One Light Still Shines. I contacted Marie Monville to see if I could write a review of her book for our blog. She sent us this book to review for our readers here at Brewing Wisdom

A Story of God’s Faithfulness

Marie Roberts Monville was the wife of Charles Roberts.  On October 2, 2006, in the quiet Amish town of Nickel Mines, PA, Charlie, barricaded himself and 9 Amish girls in the Nickel Mine schoolhouse, shooting all 9 children, killing 4, and then killing himself.  Marie became a single widowed mother of three children who were left to pick up the pieces after this tragic event.  It wasn’t until five years after the aftermath, that Marie felt she needed to write her story.  She hoped that in telling her story of God’s faithfulness, she would inspire others to know God’s faithfulness in their lives, too.

“It has taken me years to find my voice to write this story. Not because I couldn’t find the words – I never lacked for words. But because, until recently, I was unable to see the reason to write my story.”
– Marie Monville, One Light Still Shines

Many people wanted to know how Marie emerged from this tragedy while still having joy and wholeness. How was she able to trust and love someone again enough to remarry, how did she still hold on to her faith during this horrific ordeal, and how it had impacted her life? These were questions Marie felt many needed to have an answer to.

“For the first time, I understood that the hunger of those interested in hearing my story was not really about me at all – it was about the experience of loss or pain or struggle or mystery in the lives of my listeners. Their lives were also filled with sudden storms and dark places. What they were searching for within my story was the secret to navigation through their own darkness. They were hungry for a story of hope.”
– Marie Monville, One Light Still Shines

Several times throughout the book, Marie tells the reader how God would speak to her in her prayers by telling her he would not fix the tragedy but He would redeem it and that is what God did. Marie had the vision of seeing a tulip leaf falling and God scooping it up. This book is a profession of her faith in Christ and her utter dependence on Him to get through circumstances no one could begin to prepare for. We never know what tomorrow will hold for any of us and we honestly, can not predict what will come our way. The best way we can prepare for anything that comes our way is to do as Marie did her entire life. She drew near to God and was in his word.  It was during this tragedy the scriptures brought her comfort and she knew who she could go to to find shelter and rest, her Savior.

We can choose to take the path toward our savior or take the path that leads to devastation and hopelessness. Throughout the entire book, I can see the ones who chose the path toward the savior.  They were with Marie throughout this entire storm she went through and kept her focused on that light.  What started from the loss of a child, a man chose to take the opposite path of finding new hope in Christ.  In the end, how we respond to these tragedies is up to us. We are all given a choice on how to respond to anything.

Open Arms, Not Closed Fists

I think what brought tears to my eyes and showed the true heart of a servant of Jesus Christ were the actions of the Amish men.  Instead of coming to retaliate against Marie and her family while she was staying at her parent’s home, they embraced her father to share and sympathize in the loss and pain of that day.  It was selfless love like Marie’s Uncle Jim and Aunt Linda who opened their home up to Marie and the children for a place of refuge when police were searching through everything in her home and reporters/media were kept trying to invade their privacy.

“As we stepped into Linda and Jim’s home, they welcomed us with open arms. The love in their eyes shone like bright lights compared to the darkness I’d just driven through. Memories associated with this place called to me immediately. My great-grandmother at the piano, playing and singing Christmas carols, slumber parties with my cousin, and family picnics in the summer. This home holds the celebration of life, I reassured myself. God has prepared this place for us.”
– Marie Monville, One Light Still Shines

The Bible tells us about the importance of true biblical hospitality and I believe that act was shown clearly through her Aunt Linda and Uncle Jim. They opened their home and offered Marie and the children their master bedroom to find rest from such a horrible day.

I was deeply touched by the love from one church in the area that stepped up to make the phone call to Marie to cover the costs of funeral expenses.  The funeral home that helped bury their daughter Elise, was also showing the true heart of a servant when Marie called for funeral arrangements.

“This must be such a difficult time for you and your family,” the funeral director said kindly. “I’ve already given this some careful thought. At first, I thought I might not yet be able to say yes, but my mother always taught me that every man deserves a proper burial. Yes, we’ll be happy to serve you.”
– Marie Monville, One Light Still Shines

The Wall of Grace

The part of the book that gave me both chills and tears and made me look away from the book and just smile was “The Wall of Grace” which Marie wrote about in her book.  It happened on the day of Charles Roberts’s funeral.  As Marie wrote about this day, I could almost see her sitting during the service with her children around her and her youngest sitting on her lap.  She wrote in her book how memories of them flashed through her mind, her body was present but her mind was elsewhere.  She had chosen a song as the anthem to that terrible week and also a proclamation over her and her children’s future.  As the song played she raised her hands and cried feeling God reaching down as she was reaching up.

My heart broke as I continued to read, but was reminded of God’s amazing love when Marie and her family arrived at the gravesite of Charlie.  When they arrived at what Marie thought was to be a little white church and cemetery over the small rise of the road, there were crowded groups of reporters and photographers.  It was at this point of the book that even as the reader, my weak flesh wanted to rip those cameras out of their hands and stomp them onto the ground when I read how devastated Marie was. She wrote how she just wanted to shout “Let my children weep by the grave of their father in private!”  But, what happened next was the selfless act of love that only a true servant of Jesus Christ could have done.

Marie spotted the rim of a black hat from the corner of her grandfather’s garage that was near the cemetery. One by one the Amish came out and formed a wall between her and her family and the reporters.

“One after another, the line of Amish men and women grew to about three dozen, walking in our direction. the hearse moved forward to the grave site, but our car stopped and waited. I watched unbelieving, tears streaming down my face, as that line of Amish formed a crescent wall in front of us, hiding the grave site from our view – and from the view of the reporters and photographers. Our car began to inch forward again, and as it did the wall of the Amish parted in the middle, allowing my care and the car with my children and parents to pass through. The moment our cars were inside the crescent, those good people closed the gap behinds us. They were shielding us! The Amish were shielding the family of Charlie Roberts.”
– Marie Monville, One Light Still Shines

This was truly the real act of a servant and loving your enemy.  Charlie Roberts took the lives of the little girls of these Amish families but instead of hate, they chose to show love and grace that can ONLY come through the love of our Savior Jesus Christ.  Christ’s love reigned down on that Wall of Grace.

“Carry one another’s burdens; in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.” – Galatians 6:2

It was also the people like Marie’s Aunt Lindas’ neighbors who dropped off donations for the children. Especially the person who donated the basket of three stuffed puppies and chocolate chip cookies. Just moments before Marie’s friends Christine and her husband (Pastors at the church where Marie’s prayer group met), Marie was in tears trying to figure out how to break another heartbreaking news to her children about their dog Dale who was hit by a car the night before. Dale was Charlie’s dog, Marie believed Dale was wandering around looking for Charlie. Heartbroken, Marie had to find a way to tell the children about Dale. As Marie began to pray, Christine and her husband knocked on the door to give Marie a basket that had been donated to the church for the children. Inside of the basket were the three stuffed puppies which could not have arrived at a better time.

Throughout the entire story, we see how so many people stepped up to help during such a painful time. What seems to be just days of powerful answered prayers there was also a lot of pain, growth, obedience, and seeking the Lord.  There was a timeline that was all according to God’s timing. The one person God sent to her to redeem this horrific tragedy was her husband Dan Monville. Dan listened to God to direct his steps to be the being the husband for Marie and step-father to her children.

A True Servant

Marie’s story is very powerful. It not only shares the true story of a woman and her life overcoming a horrific event, but it also shows the importance of constantly being in a relationship with the Lord.  Some may read her book and doubt God’s goodness, but who are we to say how God will work in someone’s life when they are truly seeking Him as Marie did throughout her entire life?  From a child swinging as high as she could on the swing to try and reach the heavens to a woman sharing her story to the world about how God has been an important part of her life.

This book to me is about the true servant. I would recommend this book to anyone who is feeling like all hope has been lost. But most importantly, I think Monville would echo my words to say it’s not this book that will change your life but it’s the word of God who will prepare you in and out of any season for the trials that come your way.  Being in constant prayer, studying God’s Word, and having that loving and amazing relationship with the Lord is the only way to find the light in the darkness when those trials come our way because we never know what tomorrow will bring to us.

“No matter how tragic your circumstances, your life is not a tragedy. It is a love story. And in your love story, when you think all the lights have gone out, one light still shines.”
– Marie Monville, One Light Still Shines

One Light Still Shines: My Life Beyond the Shadow of the Amish Schoolhouse Shooting By Marie Monville with Cindy Lambert / ZondervanWhen Marie Monville learned that her husband was the Nickel Mines Amish schoolhouse shooter, she thought her life as she knew it was over. What she never anticipated was a tangible encounter with God reaching into her circumstances and rewriting all she believed about herself and her faith. A beautiful story of redemption! 318 pages, hardcover from Zondervan.

About the Author

“When all other lights go out, He still shines!”  This became the anthem to Marie’s life when on October 2, 2006, her then-husband decided to hold an Amish school house hostage, forever changing life as she knew it.  This is Marie’s testimony, forged while moving through unthinkable circumstances, into the unfathomable love of the Father. On her darkest day, Marie simply chose to believe that HE IS. This act of faith radically propelled her into a future she could not have hoped for or imagined. Marie travels throughout the US and Canada encouraging others to believe in the truth of God’s love: it is deep enough to heal any wound and strong enough to break all bondage.  It brings life to the broken and light to those in darkness. She believes that God is real, he is alive, and his love brings us to life.  Marie and her husband, Dan, live in Lancaster County, PA, with their 6 children.  They traveled to South Africa in July 2015, where they adopted their son.  Marie is passionate about adoption and shares this through her ministry.  She is an advocate for Project 143 (an orphan hosting program) and the Pennsylvania coordinator for Orphan Sunday.

Look for Marie’s book- One Light Still Shines: My Life Beyond the Shadow of the Amish Schoolhouse Shooting.   You can also connect with her via her website- www.mariemonville.com

Follow Marie Monville on her YouTube channel, Facebook, and Twitter