Shaunas courageous fight for Gods will to prevail in her marriage is

beautiful beyond words. A Fierce Love is an amazing reminder that, with

his strength, we can still choose to show love . . . even with a broken
heart.
L ysa Ter K e u r st, New York Times bestselling author;
president, Proverbs 31 Ministries

When author Shauna Shanks got the worst news a wife could getthat
her husband wanted a divorceshe pleaded with God, Please just give
me one thing I can focus on! Just one word. He gave her two: Endure.
Hope. I urge you to read this remarkable story of one wife who decided to
lean completely on the Lord and to not give up, but to fight for her mar-
riage. You will not be disappointed.
C hr ist ine C a ine , founder, A21 and Propel Women

This is so much more than the story of a faithful wife wooing her way-
ward husband back to their marriage. It is the story of a faithful God
wooing his wayward people back to his side. If youve ever wandered
or been wounded by someone who has, you will find great comfort
and encouragement in all the words Shauna shares. No matter what
the imposing mountain in front of you looks likemarriage, money,
sickness, or shameyou will learn from her example how God reveals
himself through lifes impossible situations.
A m y L i v ely, author, How to Love Your Neighbor
Without Being Weird

Shauna Shanks takes us on a journey of what its like to be faced with

an impossible situation, and to either do what makes sense in the eyes of
the world and those around us, or have the audacious faith that God calls
on us to have. A Fierce Love is a must read for everyone who has ever had
their faith put to the test in a big way.
C h a d V e ach , lead pastor, Zoe Church
in Los Angeles, California

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 Wow. Sometimes relationship miracles are the most amazing miracles
of all. This is one of those miracle stories we need to know about. At its
core, this is a story about a persons relationship with God as it is tested
and navigated through one of the most severe crucibles of life. There
were times in Shaunas story where I could hardly believe she was getting
skewered and crushed by these emotional attacks again and again. And
yet in the midst of those situations, she shares her vivid examples of God
opening her eyes and directing her to dig in and use the principles of the
Word of God and overcome by faith, even when it seems she is hanging
on by a thread emotionally. I really love the battle-tested and practical
examples she shares. For this reason, this book is a road map of sorts,
but one that shows not just the way through to a miracle, but also the pit-
falls of despair when one strays off the pathand how to course-correct
by Gods mercy and grace. We need to know stories like this exist
especially in this hour, when so many hearts are used to giving up and
growing hard and cold. This kind of story restores hope in the power of
Gods love to overcome obstacles and shows love is worth fighting for,
even when the situation seems to drag on without any reason for hope.
God never leaves your side, and his Word and his Spirit will both work
in and with you to strengthen you to see these amazing miracles happen.
Timot h y J orgensen , pastor; author, Spirit Life Training

9780310347538_FierceLove_int.indd 2 4/6/17 11:30 AM

 ZONDERVAN
A Fierce Love
Copyright 2017 by Shauna Shanks
Requests for information should be addressed to:
Zondervan, 3900 Sparks Dr. SE, Grand Rapids, Michigan 49546
ISBN 978-0-310-34753-8 (softcover)
ISBN 978-0-310-34846-7 (ebook)
Unless otherwise noted, Scripture quotations are taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version,
NIV. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights
reserved worldwide. www.Zondervan.com. The NIV and New International Version are trademarks
registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.
Scripture quotations marked AMPC are taken from The Amplified Bible, Copyright 1954, 1958, 1962,
1964, 1965, 1987, by the Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. (www.Lockman.org.) All rights
reserved.
Scripture quotations marked ESV are from the ESV Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version).
Copyright 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All
rights reserved.
Scripture quotations marked GNT are from the Good News Translation in Todays English VersionS econd
Edition. Copyright 1992 by American Bible Society. Used by permission.
Scripture quotations marked KJV are from the King James Version. Public domain.
Scripture quotations marked MSG are from The Message. Copyright by Eugene H. Peterson 1993, 1994,
1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress. All rights reserved. Represented by
Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.
Scripture quotations marked NASB are from New American Standard Bible. Copyright 1960, 1962,
1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. (www
.Lockman.org)
Scripture quotations marked NLT are from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation. 1996, 2004, 2007,
2013 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream,
Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations marked The Voice are from The Voice. 2012 by Ecclesia Bible Society. Used by
permission. All rights reserved. Note: Italics in quotations from The Voice are used to indicate words
not directly tied to the dynamic translation of the original language but that bring out the nuance of the
original, assist in completing ideas, and . . . provide readers with information that would have been obvious
to the original audience (The Voice, preface).
Any Internet addresses (websites, blogs, etc.) and telephone numbers in this book are offered as a resource.
They are not intended in any way to be or imply an endorsement by Zondervan, nor does Zondervan vouch
for the content of these sites and numbers for the life of this book.
Some names and identifying details have been changed to protect the privacy of individuals mentioned in
this work.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or
transmitted in any form or by any meanselectronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or any other
except for brief quotations in printed reviews, without the prior permission of the publisher.
Cover design: Micah Kandros
Interior design: Denise Froehlich
First printing April 2017 / Printed in the United States of America

9780310347538_FierceLove_int.indd 6 4/6/17 11:30 AM

 To Micahfor your support and
willingness, without reservation,
to share our story.

To Aunt Jan and Shannonfor

journeying the trenches with me
and taking me to the paths.

For my boys: Josiah, Gabe, and

Judahfor praying every night
for mommy to get her book published.
Thank you for your prayers.

9780310347538_FierceLove_int.indd 7 4/6/17 11:30 AM

 Contents
Acknowledgments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Chapter 1: The Naked Man. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Chapter 2: The Start of Death . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Chapter 3: God Speaking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Chapter 4: Crushing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Chapter 5: The Love Filter. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Chapter 6: Suffer the Children. . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Chapter 7: One-Way Glass. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Chapter 8: Blatant Indifference . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Chapter 9: Breadcrumbs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Chapter 10: Aaron and Hur. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
Chapter 11: Exodus. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
Chapter 12: The Power of Words. . . . . . . . . . 93
Chapter 13: Its Over. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
Chapter 14: New Mercies. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
Chapter 15: Lavish Love . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
Chapter 16: This is War. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119
Chapter 17: Up and Running. . . . . . . . . . . . 127
Chapter 18: Basking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135

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 Chapter 19: Micah. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143
Chapter 20: Bluffer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151
Chapter 21: The Pursuit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159
Chapter 22: Forgiveness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163
Chapter 23: The Golden State. . . . . . . . . . . 169
Chapter 24: Spiritual Warfare. . . . . . . . . . . 177
Chapter 25: A Heart of Flesh. . . . . . . . . . . . 191
Chapter 26: Intimacy. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197
Chapter 27: Lord of the Ring. . . . . . . . . . . . 203
Chapter 28: Emotions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207
Chapter 29: Good Common Sense . . . . . . . 213
Chapter 30: Immeasurably More. . . . . . . . . 227

Notes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 233

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 Acknowledgments

Acknowledgments
T his being my first book, Im not sure if its normal to cry
through writing the acknowledgments, but I surely did! I am
honored to have crossed paths with you all. Your contribution to
this book is immense. Thank you. We truly did this together.
Russell and Shannon who were the first to tell me, You should
write that down.
John and Shannon Kellough, thank you for your spiritual cov-
ering. What an example youve given us to follow.
My very first editor, Angie Warner, who took on a project from
someone she had never met before.
Leslie and Hattie, the first set of eyes to read my initial
manuscript.
My editor Sandra Vander Zicht, for taking a chance on an
unknown writer and championing this project from the very
beginning. Meeting you at She Speaks was like a dream come true,
and you continue to be such an inspiration to me!
Lori Vanden Bosch, whose feedback, advice, (and chopping!)
took my original manuscript and masterfully crafted it to be a real
book. Thank you!
David Morris, Tom Dean, and the whole Zondervan team for
this opportunity to write. Your expertise has taught me so much
through this process, and I am honored to be working with the
best in the industry.

11

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 12
T A Fierce Love
Robin Phillips, for your advice in the beginning and for being
a quiet champion.
Lysa TerKeurst and the whole P31 team, for creating She
Speaks to offer help to writers who have no idea what they are
doing. Thank you for investing in women and making sure we are
equipped to follow through with our God-given passions and tal-
ents. She Speaks was the avenue that started it all for this project.
I have learned so much about writing through this ministry and
have made many contacts and friends along the journey.
Amy Lively, my first writer-friend! Thank you for taking my
phone call and walking me through those initial steps, and for your
encouragement along the way.
My Pastors Mark and Nicki Pfeifer for coming along side of
Micah and me and sowing into our family. Its an honor to serve
with you.
Pastor Rick Cole and Capital Christian Center for being our
second church home, whose presence is weaved throughout this
whole story.
Blake and Kellie, friends who are also leaders.
Christine Caine, my spiritual coach! Your contagious pas-
sion for Jesus inspires me to go out and kick devil butt! You will
never know how you encouraged me in the trenches as I listened
to Coffee with Chris on repeat, teaching me to dream big, work
hard, and trust that God will do what he said hell do. Can we
please go get coffee now?
Pastor Carl Lentz, Pastor Judah Smith, Beth Moore, Margaret
Feinberg, and Jennie Allen for being voices to this generation and
whose words I have repeated in this book. They may seem to be
small mentions, but your impact is far greater than you could know.
Thank you for being modern-day champions of Jesus through ser-
mons, podcasts, books, events, and every single avenue you use to
speak Jesus. It is so needed, and we are listening.
Jason Harper; mentor, pastor, friend.

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 Acknowledgments T 13

Bryce Eldridge at Knowledge House Design and Marketing for

helping me develop my platform and website and for keeping me
on task in general.
Kim Potter for listening to every idea before it was translated
on paper. We learned many of these lessons together, my friend.
Youre a treasure, seashell! Lyndsie, Alana, Crystal, Kristyn, and
Rebecca, treasured friends, proof of my immeasurably more. What
an honor doing life with you.
Jennifer, my forever friend, and the road trip that started it all.

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 Chapter1

The Naked Man

SAN FR ANCISCO, SPRING BREAK, 2003

Adam and his wife were both naked, and they felt no
shame.
GENESIS 2:25

H e parked the borrowed Audi TT at an overlook. Everything had

been carefully planned. We strolled down Baker Beach, drove
up Lombard Street, and visited the Palace of Fine Arts. We got to see
Alcatraz and enjoy the famous bread bowls on the pier.
It was windy, the usual forecast in the bay. The sun was shin-
ing, creating nice breaks of warmth against the cold air coming off
of the water. We took in the sights and smells of the sea lions as we
paused to watch them play in the harbor.
The street performers were at their best. Im sure there were
more out than usual due to spring break. A man, wrapped head to
toe in aluminum with his face painted completely silver, completed
an act. I cant for the life of me think of what he was doing. I only
remember that he looked amazing, as if he were straight from The
Wizard of Oz.
The performers buzzed about the already crowded streets, seek-
ing audience from anyone who would pause. There were musicians

15

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 16
T A Fierce Love
and street magicians. A fake cop even stopped me and gave me a
ticket for turning too many heads. I still have it in a trunk upstairs.
The experiences of the day were heightened only by the fact
that I was finally with him, with Micah. We were nearing the end
of a two-year, long-distance relationship. We only got to see each
other a few times a year. I was not taking him for granted that day.
I had come to visit him during spring break. We were attending
college in separate states.
That day, I got to hold his hand, kiss his face, and finally look
into his eyes. Those days were before texting and FaceTime. We
relied on email and strategically planned phone conversations.
(Really starting to feel old admitting that!)

We knew each other in high school. We had the same group of

friends, but we had never really been friends with each other. It
was right before senior prom and I had just broken up with my
boyfriend of two years. I told my best friend, Jennifer, I wasnt going
to go to prom. I didnt want to go with my ex-boyfriend, but going
with anyone else would have been awkward.
Jennifer was appalled I was planning on ditching out of senior
prom, so she kept trying to fix me up with someone. She went
through everyone she could think of, and for each one, I had a rea-
son I didnt want to go with them. I had just gotten out of a serious
relationship. The last thing I wanted was to start another one. I was
young! I wanted to relax, hang out, and just chill. Then she said,
What about Micah? He had graduated the year before.
Actually, I hesitated, I would go with him.
I thought of him as the group goofball. He was super laid-back
and funny. He was the one who made people laugh. I knew if I went
with him it would not turn into anything serious. Okay. Ill go
with him I told a giddy Jennifer.

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 The Naked Man T 17

After prom, I wanted to marry him.

We started dating after that, but we had already enrolled into
separate colleges. He was headed to Sacramento, California, and
I would attend Christ for the Nations in Dallas, Texas. After only
four months into our courtship, we decided to give long distance
dating a shot.

Around dusk, he led me underneath the Golden Gate Bridge. The

lights from the city above us sparkled down upon the water. Waves
smashed up against giant rocks that were scattered on the sandy
beach. He hopped up onto one of them and reached out his hand
to lift me up with him. I knew what was coming next. It had been
the perfect day. This would be the perfect ending.
As he knelt down on one knee and buried his hand into his
pocket, we heard a shuffling sound coming toward us. Was that
movement? It was something coming toward us, fast. The sun had
already started to set, making it difficult to see very far into the
distance. Micah paused so as not to be interrupted by this ill-timed
distraction. Coming quickly into view, I saw him. For many years
to come we would affectionately call him in the retelling of this
story, the naked man.
Is he running toward us? Technically this was a nude beach. But
for heavens sake, couldnt he see we were having a moment here?
Plus its cold out here! The naked man ran all the way to the rock
where I was standing and Micah was kneeling. He reached out his
hand, touched the rock, spun around, and ran back the way he had
come, his behind bouncing all the way.
Oh, San Francisco. How I love you.
My ring was beautiful. It was perfect. I loved it. I loved him. I
was finally engaged to the man of my dreams.
The next time the bridge would see us would be the mark of

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 18
T A Fierce Love
our ten-year wedding anniversary. That visit would be in stark con-
trast to the first one. It would find us amidst a last-ditch attempt
to salvage any remnants that may have been left of our marriage.

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 Chapter2

The Start of Death

Whoever tries to keep their life will lose it, and
whoever loses their life will preserve it.
LUKE 17:33

I was excited. As creative director for the childrens ministry at

our church, I was being sent away to a conference for the week-
end. I was being sent away! Thank God.
In addition to being a mom of three young boys, I also ran
a small business making cakes from my home. I did weddings,
birthdays, baby showers, and bridal showersall things that take
place on the weekends. So, weekends away did not happen often.
Actually, I couldnt recall there ever being a time I was away from
my children since having them!
My friend Crystal was also going to the conference. I was con-
fident we could do all the conferency stuff while still getting in a
good amount of much-needed goof-off time. We could hit up all
the good local food places, window shop, and eat late-night snacks
in bed!
Were there still shows on TV that were not on the Disney
Channel? I would have no kids to wrestle or bathe for two whole
nights! I would not have to cook, do one single load of laundry or

19

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 20
T A Fierce Love
dishes, or clean up one sticky mess on the floor. I didnt care what
we did; this was vacation to me. Bring it on!
It wasnt until the night before the conference that I actually
took the time to sit down and read over the itinerary. I blame this
procrastination on being a mom to three kids. Sit down and read
time is rare. I also call this my Three Kids Card. Laundry piled up?
Dinner is late? Heres my Three Kids Card. Take a number and get
in line. The littles take up most of my time and energy for now.
Each task is interrupted by a dozen little demands and distractions
that keep me seemingly running in circles most of the day. So even
though Ive been very busy all day, Ive actually gotten very little
accomplished. But at the end of the day, everyone is alive. Patting
myself on the back.
As I sat in the quietness, with the itinerary in my hand, my
excitement for the weekend was replaced with downright hysteria.
The last night of the conference, my newly discovered favorite band
was going to be there! They were scheduled to play the closing
night of the conference. I called my husband to tell him the good
news. He was excited for me because he was familiar with my new-
est obsession.
I had discovered the band All Sons & Daughters a few weeks
before, when I had stayed up all night working on a wedding cake
order. For some reason I had the old hymn Come Thou Fount
of Every Blessing stuck in my head. I often set the laptop on the
counter to listen to music while I work. (For this reason, our lap-
top has a pretty good coating of powdered sugar and shortening
behind its keys. Oops.)
When I did a quick search for the hymn that night, the band
All Sons & Daughters popped up on the computer screen. They
had a cover of the song. I ended up continuing to click on their
songs for most of the night.
Their music had such a worshipful tone. They were songs that
caused me to pause, bow my head, and give in to a few tender

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 The Start of Death T 21

moments with my Creator. My life, for the most part, was full of
busyness, noise, and at times, chaos. These songs seemed to make
all of that fade into the background and created a desire in me to
just cozy up beside the One they were singing about.
Oh yeah, my soul seemed to say. Those sweet moments of wor-
ship seemed familiar but also far away. I recognized joy simply by
connecting with my Creator, but I also felt a tinge of guilt too. The
joy came from spending time with a friend I didnt see much, but
the guilt ensued because I knew I left my friend in the first place.
I reckon the sadness I felt was a result of not being a better friend.
Little did I realize the significance of this night spent working and
listening to these songs.
The songs stuck with me in the weeks to come. I added them
to my running mix. (Which should have been called a walking
mix because I had only recently decided to start running. To even
call it light jogging would have been a great embellishment.) Even
though the running wasnt a pretty sight, as I listened, something
stirred within me.

The morning of the conference, Crystals mom van arrived in front

of my house, and off we went. We headed about an hour north, to
the city of Columbus. We attended the workshops, explored ven-
dor booths, and posed for pictures, wearing oversized glasses and
floppy hats. We collected all the free giveaways and spent the very
last dime of our eating allowance.
When the last night of the conference arrived, I had an expec-
tation. I decided not to waste the evening. I knew God had been
drawing me in and prepping me to spend time in his presence
by teasing me with the songs Id been singing that night in my
kitchen. They had prompted a fierce desire in me to get closer to
my old friend.

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 22
T A Fierce Love
The fact that the All Sons & Daughters band was playing when
I had only recently learned of them seemed like a pretty big coinci-
dence. I decided to believe that God had booked them to be there
just for me, and I was determined to meet him there. Besides, I was
hardly ever without kids hanging off of me and rarely outside of
the childrens wing at church. Lord knew I wasnt giving him much
time on my own. I was ready. I was going for it.
We had come with a team, and they had chosen seats on high-
rise bleachers at the back of the room. It was the seating farthest
away from the stage area. Where we sat, bright industrial lights
shone brightly down on us. I thought the floor seating looked invit-
ing, dark, and cozy, and I was overcome by a desire to go down
there.
I knew I wanted to do some serious God-searching and I
wouldnt feel so inhibited by watching eyes if I went closer to the
stage. The lighting up front was dim and most of the people were
standing, so I shouldve been able to blend right in without making
any waves.
I stood up once the music started and was the only one doing
so in my section. But I was overcome. I put Crystal in charge of my
purse, excused myself from our row, and began to make my way
through all the people.
I started to head down to the main stage area. The closer I got
to the front of the ballroom, the more overcome I was. I had no
idea what I was doing, but while I was still five or six rows back
on a side aisle in the middle of nowhere, I suddenly knelt down
and began to sob. Not a lady-like cry either. It was uncontrollable.
Shoulders convulsing, snotty, messy, forehead-on-the-f loor sobbing.
What am I doing? I didnt know. It wasnt that kind of service and
I hadnt physically bowed down on my knees during a church ser-
vice in years. At some point a woman briefly knelt down beside me
and laid her hand on my back and patted as she prayed out loud,
Oh God, only you know what this woman is going through....

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 The Start of Death T 23

I knew I looked like a hot mess. I smiled to myself and thought,

Of course she would think something is deathly wrong by the scene I am
causing, but Im not going through anything. I just want more of Jesus.
Nice, silly woman.
Little did I know, that same night, things were already being
put into motion to assure my death. The sentence had been writ-
ten down and set into motion from that moment on. I guess Jesus
took me seriously when I asked for more of him. I was about to
get him.
I take comfort in knowing that he knew what was going to
happen. He was drawing me into his sweet presence ahead of time,
preparing me and holding me. He was with me every step of the
way from that moment on.

It was October14. I will always remember that. I had only arrived

home from the conference the day before. I went for a run that
evening and I was just so proud of myself for not collapsing into
someones yard. I felt on top of the world.
The kids were in bed, so I was preparing to reward myself
by drawing a warm bath. Micah came in not acting himself. He
said he wanted to talk, but then said, Never mind. Just enjoy your
bath first. Well, theres this common decency rule when talking
to humans. You cant start something like that and not finish it. I
remember being playful and sitting down to talk.
Things were good with us. I definitely wouldn't have called our
marriage perfect. But good, sure. So I was completely caught off
guard when Micah started speaking. I was laughing before I started
crying. I laughed because I honestly thought he was joking. He was
explaining that he didnt want to be married to me anymore. As he
talked, my sweet husband disappeared and a stranger appeared.
Serious. Cold. Cunning. He had planned this. It was an ambush.

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 24
T A Fierce Love
He said he was not happy. He was not attracted to me, nor had
he been for years. He did not love me. He didnt want to spend any
more of his time with me. Didnt I want him to be happy? Didnt I
feel the same way? I heard his words, but it sounded like crazy talk.
Over the next few days, he would continue to assure me of how
little he thought of me. I felt like the little puppy in the movies that
doesnt believe he is being abandoned by his owner, so the owner
kicks it to get it to go run off into the woods.
His words paralyzed my heart. I was blindsided, yes. But it
was quickly sinking in. I felt unbelievably stupid too. Yesterday I
believed a happy reality. It was only a happy little lie.
I had never before worried about our marriage. He had never
given me any reason to feel concerned. I did notice gaps in our
marriage over the years and I did feel a lack of affection from him
at times, which I had gotten used to because I thought that was just
how he was. I just assumed he wasnt overly touchy-feely.
Micah had come from a very troubled childhood. I figured the
lack of connection I felt at times was a result of that. He was never
overly affectionate, but I thought that was his normal, and I never
wanted to push him to be something he wasnt. Even so, I never felt
unloved by him. I never expected this.
Yet now, this man with whom I had built a life, made promises
to, and shared our children, opened his mouth and declared, I do
not love you. His words were a knife that cut into my soul. I am
not attracted to you. He dug the knife in further. I shouldnt have
married you. He twisted it.
When I tearfully remembered that the following month would
be our ten-year anniversary he bluntly responded, I know. I have
wasted ten years of my life with you and I dont want to waste any
more of my time. I feel nothing for you. These were the words that
were the start of my death. The girl I was would be no more. She
was already gone.
I couldnt have imagined this scenario in a nightmare. He said

9780310347538_FierceLove_int.indd 24 4/6/17 11:30 AM

 The Start of Death T 25

there was no one else. He just kept saying he wasnt happy and
didnt I want him to be happy? I felt like a blooming idiot. I literally
had no idea.
I had been happy in my fantasy world. I remember just not
understanding. I even thought it would be better to have heard
that I had been cheated on. At least then he would be leaving me
for something, for someone. But nothing! I felt worse than nothing.
It felt horrible.
It didnt make sense to me, and I felt hurt beyond words. He
didnt just say, I dont love you now. What I heard is that he didnt
love me ever. He didnt just stop loving me at some point and then
end our relationship. It was like he went back into time and pulled
the rug out from under everything we ever had. He just simply
took it all away. Poof. It was gone. Make-believe.
I started crying that night and cried for three days straight. I
still remember those days and nights spent curled up in a ball on
the couch. I didnt eat. I barely slept. I just cried.
Its difficult for me to recall the first night. I was heartbroken.
My world was shattered. I was grieving the loss of my happy life
and my little family. I knew I should have been hurting for our kids
and the loss of their dad, but I couldnt get past my own grief. I still
loved him. I just wanted to grab him, hug him, and kiss him like
I always did whenever I wanted. I started to think of never being
able to do that again and started to panic.
The thought of being deprived of his touch and his affection
was too much. All I wanted was to touch him and be touched by
him. I wanted him to embrace me and take it all back. But after the
talk, he changed toward me. He looked like my husband, but he
was not. He was truly gone.
The next night I panicked. As I watched him prepare his things
to leave, I made him sit down with our oldest son, Josiah, then
eight years old, and tell him he was leaving. I didnt think he would
be able to have that talk with him. I was wrong.

9780310347538_FierceLove_int.indd 25 4/6/17 11:30 AM

 26
T A Fierce Love
He recited some feeling-less something about Your mother
and I.... I could only silently die from the other couch. What are
you doing?? Have you lost your mind? Our kids have no idea there could
be a world where mommy or daddy could ever leave them. Thats an
option? And leave me out of it! Mommy nothing! This is all you, I silently
screamed.
He left to go for a run right after that. I was not ready to deal
with changing our whole family dynamic in one evening, so when
he came back I asked him to leave his stuff at our house and sleep
there for the night until I could figure out my next move.
Im not going to lie, those first few days I wanted to die. If I
didnt have my kids to shield from all of it I would have crawled
under a blanket and not crawled out. I had never really experi-
enced a broken heart before. This was the first real personal trauma
Id ever had, and I felt like I could not pull myself together.
That first night when I lay awake crying, my mind was swirl-
ing. Sadness. Grief. Disbelief. Shock. What do I do? What do I do
without him? What about this big dumb house? I dont want to live in it
without him! What about Josiahs school? Where will we go?
What do I do?

9780310347538_FierceLove_int.indd 26 4/6/17 11:30 AM

A Fierce Love
One Womans Courageous Journey to Save Her
Marriage
By Shauna Shanks

A Fierce Love is the story of a train wreck and reaching out

to God not in the calm but in the chaos and finding hope for
the future.

Wrecked with news of her husbands affair and his request

for a divorce, Shauna Shanks finds herself urgently faced
with a decision. Does she give up and divorce her husband
and move on, or does she try to fight for her marriage? The
former choice seems to contradict Gods plan for how to
love, such as love never gives up, love is patient, and
love is kind.

This book is not air-brushed. It was written in the midst of

the authors deepest trauma, and she purposefully did not
edit out her mistakes and failures during that season. This
book will resonate with those of you who do not feel like
the picture-perfect Christian woman with the fairytale life
and marriage.

Get Your Copy of A Fierce Love Today!

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