A New Song

Pain. Disappointment. Suffering. They entered your life uninvited. And now it seems they are here to stay.

It might be a recent event or a realization of unexpected truth. Perhaps the awareness of pain has been sitting quietly biding time while you attempt to get on with life. You could try to address them, but who has the time and energy? And so, the negative effects of suffering seize the opportunity to dig into our souls, settle down, and entangle themselves with every part of our life expression.

Author Susan Habegger knows firsthand that our reflex is to avoid pain. But she also knows that when we do, it's not long until disquiet and uneasiness settle in and become part of our new daily rhythm-one that plays to the tune of buried fear, lingering heartache, and a hovering awareness of pain.

So, what do we do with our suffering? How do we move forward with a new rhythm-a new song?

Through intimate conversations, valuable reflection, and discussions about the Good Shepherd, who walks with us, A New Song will meet your need to make peace with suffering and find hope where you are. These pages will not offer you a clinical look at trauma or a five-step plan for healing. Neither is there the expectation to return your life to "normalcy"through toxic positivity that denies the reality of your pain.

This book will, instead, be your steady companion, leading you through the uncertainty, out of the numbness, and toward healing. It will offer you a safe space, where you can take an honest journey. And, over time, it will be the backdrop against which you will hear notes of hope starting to blend-notes full of courage and peace that will create a new song.

A New Song is for all who suffer-before, now, and what is to come: A New Song is for anyone who is weary of living under the burden of pain. You will not find "what you should do" or "what will work." You will discover openness to the reality of the raw feelings that come and the tactics that trauma uses to hold control over us, while opening the door to the possibility of coming to peace with the way life is now-reclaiming our identity, our value, and our potential. "These sessions help those who are so confused and struggling with the chaos in their minds and hearts-it's like putting your messed up closet into order and sanity!" Small Group Participant