Hi everyone,I just want to talk about this book that I read recently, it is alled "Dawn of Grace by Jill Eileen Smith." I honestly didn’t even know exactly what to expect, but, the story just got me, it is all about Mary Magdalene but like her backstory, not just the part of her we know from the Bible.
You know when you are reading something and you are like, “Wait, how did we even get here?” That is how I felt, especially in the beginning part, we meet young Mary, who is just trying to survive with all the madness that's going on around her,she lives in Magdala, and it is just her and her dad because her mom died. And guess what! the dad does not even like her like that, that's sad, huh?
Then there’s Susanna, her only friend, This Susanna girl? She is a full vibe but in a scary way, she is into spirits and idol stuff and starts dragging Mary into it from when they were like eight years old. I was just shaking my head reading that part ,like, why are you like this, Susanna?
Anyway, time passes and Mary gets betrothed to Susanna’s brother, Marcus, But mehn, she didnt even like the guy like that, and her whole life was just being arranged for her. Then something really painful happens , her father travels for work and never comes back. That thing hit hard. I could literally feel her confusion and panic, Everyone around her is just saying she shouldn't worry . (“Don’t worry,”) but she knows that something is off.
That is when things really go downhill, In her desperation to find her father, she agrees to let these so-called “spirits” in ,thinking they will help her. And like that, that is how her suffering starts, She gets possessed, and these spirits start controlling her. It was deep. I had to pause and just breathe.
But this is where the story starts turning around, Mary meets Jesus ,and this part just gave me chills, he sees her, and without judgement or fear, He heals her. He drives out all the demons tormenting her. Just like that, peace.
That moment was so powerful, Like, imagine being stuck in pain, trauma, and spiritual confusion for years and then boom , one touch, and you’re free. After that, Mary starts following Jesus, not just physically but with her heart. She’s like a new person.
I think what really touched me is how relatable it felt ,not the demon part o, God forbid , but the emotions: feeling lost, not loved, wanting to be seen and heard, trying to find purpose in the middle of chaos. And sometimes turning to the wrong things just to fill that emptiness.
So yeah, Dawn of Grace isn’t just some historical Christian fiction, it’s that story that reminds you healing is possible. Peace is possible. You are not too far gone.
Mary’s story is like that beautiful reminder that no matter how messy it gets, God still sees you and can restore everything.
Images from E-Book