Merrie Gresham: Stepdaughter-in-law to CS Lewis | Rejection and Restoration
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 23 เม.ย. 2015
- At six, Merrie was rejected by her mother, who wanted to join a religious order and couldn’t be burdened with looking after her. Instead, Merrie was raised by nuns and was trained by them in nursing. Having never known the security of being loved, Merrie thought she had found love at last when she met a boy in her teens. But, her world collapsed when instead, she found herself pregnant and alone. Worse still, there was no way she could confess to the nuns…
Sometime later, it meant absolutely nothing to Merrie that the young man who was continually asking her to marry him was the stepson of C. S. Lewis, one of the most famous writers of the twentieth century. She rejected Douglas Gresham’s proposal for three years before eventually agreeing to marriage. But the life of bliss she had hoped for didn’t materialise, mainly because an unpleasant memory of something that had happened in her teens wouldn’t leave, even though decades had now passed. Instead of maturing into a happy person, anger became a dominant emotion in Merrie’s life. She didn’t want life to be like that but didn’t know how to change. But one day, in a very unexpected way, Merrie took the first step towards her road to recovery.
Camera and Production by John Callister
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What a beautiful story of healing and love in Christ. Her patient and loving husband stuck with her, and helped lead Merrie to Christ. God bless your marriage, children, and family. Thank you for sharing.
This was such a precious blessing. I hope Merrie reads this comment and knows that the courage and honesty with which she shared her story touched my soul deeply, and I'm sure many others as well. Wonderful.
What a wonderful testimony! My heart went out to Merrie in her struggles and I'm so happy she found Jesus. Such a blessing to hear.
Merrie I knew you almost 30 years ago in Ringarooma (Tasmania) - in your big house behind the hedge - and you were a beautiful person then. You were generous and loving, and helped me no end. I will always remember you very fondly.
What a sweet, beautiful, pure woman. Blown away by her honesty. ❤️
Such a lovely testimony of God's transformative love. Thank you.
After watching the interview with Douglas Grisham, I watched this and I am so glad I did. Absolutely awesome!
Same here. I feel a sense of connection with these two Believers that I've never experienced from listening to a testimony. Beautiful. God is always calling out to the suffering and the searching. God is good!
Yes! Lovely testimonies. God is so good.
I cant help but cry, what a story, God always wants redeemption. What a glorious testimony
Me too I'm crying cause Jesus died for us what a love he has he is love gosh I love this thank you Jesus what a God to have gosh how beautiful this is
To go back to my pre Christian days would be like going back to some sort of madness. I love it. She has what I have a peace in Jesus. A wonderful testimony
Jesus did it all, all to Him I owe! Thank you Merrie for this amazing testimony!
My grandfather once said that Jesus is a bird and that churches are cages: I think I understand him more as time goes by.
God loves us all equally, eternally, immensely and without exception. The healing expanse of such love is ineffable and transformative entirely.
How beautiful this story was... and affirming. It does seem like fate was in the mix.
May we heed the whispers of our angels - messengers of that Love.
Blessings to everyone.
Rejection in a child's life is devastating. I know it I went true it. Takes a lifetime to overcome it if ever.
Thank you, Merrie. I'm glad God sent you to Douglas.
Well done Merrie that wasn't an easy look through your life. It's very hard mulling over and exposing to the world, those times when we have mucked up big time. Thank you for your honesty.
Merrie, what a lovely story of redemption ❤
WOW Merrie your honesty is so Awesome....❤️👍😎
Boarding school must have been a horrible experience for thousands of children. I've read what C.S. Lewis wrote about his own nightmarish school. Thanks for this testimony. It has been a blessing. C. S. Lewis has had a profound effect on the lives of many people. His life and works are like a golden thread of blessing that continues to bring light and hope to the world.
What a treasure to stumble onto your story Mary. I feel like I know you. Gary
Oh the power of testimony.
And the hope of endurance.
I've coined a phrase for myself which is "it will take my whole life to live my whole life."
And I know that God will be there to meet me when I arrive to that point.
I just loved this interview, I swear her life is almost identical to mine! Praise God, he is so real!
Dear Merrie; What a testimony this is. I can so relate to the double life, and the anger (not knowing where it was coming from)I do know now. My recovery is slow but realizing that Jesus gave his life for me, and wants me at peace. Thank you for sharing.
Such a beautiful woman and her honesty is refreshing. God bless Merrie's words.
"To go back to my pre-Christian days would be like going back to some form of madness."
Wow. What a note to end on.
Thank you, Merrie Gesham, for sharing this candid testimony with the world. It will do an enormous amount of good.
God bless you, Douglas, and all you love.
...so right!
What a beautiful story of GOD's redemptive love for us, and what powerful change comes from accepting HIS love.
Thank you for sharing.
Rejection. Truly the most devastating thing that can happen in a child's life. No human can heal it. But God can... and he LOVES to step in and do it!
Thank you, John for letting Merrie share her story. It is something I desperately needed to hear at this time!
I’m so glad you found it helpful J O. Thank you for your comment. Blessings.
What a angelic face How honest she is a lot of women will know how she felt as a young woman and the first time she knew love
Merrie, you were a victim of narcissistic abuse inflicted by your mother. God bless you, Merry, for surviving that! You are so courageous and an inspiration!
Narcissism is a form of demonic possession.
I’m grateful to have stumbled upon your story, Thank you for sharing your beautiful testimony for JESUS💙!
Thank you Merrie for your heartfelt testament which has been such a help to me. God bless you.
Thank you sooo much Merrie. What a wonderful honest and genuine testimony. Blessings
Very honest and very brave lady, Thinking of you all
Thank you, dear sister, for this touching, outspoken story. God be with you and your family always.
Bravely put, such palpable pain.
Thank you Merrie for a wonderful testimonial
Mary Canada 🇨🇦
My goodness - true love story. That was difficult for her to tell - happy ending!
God loved you so much, Merrie, as to never let you go. Thank you for sharing.
Thank you very much for sharing your Story. It was deeply moving because i saw the suffering in your eyes.
🕊
So chillingly familiar…
Loneliness, resentment, love, anger, energy, wrestling with God, peace….
Thank you from the bottom of my heart 🙏💕
Marrie is so beautiful and so is her story. Thank you for sharing your story Merrie. I love how Douglas said, "I had seen this girl that I had been looking for all my life, and I recognised her." What a precious people and couple you are. God bless!
Absolutely beautiful testimony. Thank you so much for sharing.
Pray it leads others to salvation through Jesus. Lord and Savior
Thank you, Merrie. You are a most precious being.
Simply beautiful, she is so lovely💞.
Learning to forgive ourselves through and from the love of our Father Creator is astonishing!
It is this lady's true honesty that puts such light in her face.
Light in her heart.
Her wisdom is real too. "We let other people be our gods for us. "
And if we have them as our happiness, it is a big shift to let go and turn to the true God.
I miss you Merrie. I had many good times with you. Thank you for allowing me to live in your home and be a part of your life. Love you Merrie, outrageous blessings on you 💝
I loved listening and watching Merrie´s story, how sad a lot of it was!
Beautiful couple, beautiful story.
Beautiful story, Thank you for sharing your life…….
The first thing my friend said afterwards was you seem to think before you speak now.......I read the Bible, Koran, lots of godly ways of healing. It’s a joy to hear you and see you . Thanks for hanging out with me today Mary
Are you reading one as Trurth or still expecting both books to?
Thank you for this beautiful testimony!
Beautiful testimony. God is so Good!! :)
Beautiful story. What a blessing.
This is a very precious gift from Merrie. Thank You
such a beautiful testimoy! your big heart shines!
Imagine being 5 years old in a strange land alone and seeing your family only once a year.
So encouraging her testimony.
Warms my heart. And just proofs Gods love to me too. Praise God for His amazing love through Christ
Thank you Merriie...you put into your words th WORD OF GOD. HE LOVES EVEYONE AND YOU SUFFERED LIKE HE DID FR YOU AND US
Merrie and Doug thanks for a inspiring testimony pray you are all blessed GODFREY AND MURIEL LOVE YOU LOTS
Bless-ed story! Lovely lady! Praise God for her testimony!❤️🙏
A touching testemony. 🙏🏼
A beautiful honest story. So real a true testimony thank you. ❤
Thank you for your witness.
All Praises be to the most high God..The only true and living God.
So touched and encouraged. Really incredible testimony. God is so good!
This is a great testimony. Lovely to hear a bit of Merrie's story which I hadn't heard before. It's wonderful the part that Lewis played in the healing/redemption of his stepson's wife, and great to see those George MacDonald books on the shelf behind Douglas when he's on camera!
cool interview. wish I could meet them
Her story is similar to mine, especially wanting affection from males. I also became pregnant and had an abortion which even when I did it, I knew it was a life and I always regretted it. (I would have dreams of getting married in a "pink" wedding dress rather than in white.). Many years later I decided to follow Jesus and found new life in Him. I am thankful today--I am old now-- that He died for my sins but there are still consequences. I hurt myself and my unborn child, but God knows me, and one day in heaven I will meet my child. I don't know how that will happen, but God knows, and He has a plan for my life, "a plan for good and not for evil". Praise the Lord, there is hope in Christ. For anyone reading this, there is life in Christ if we turn to Him.
I have special understanding of other young women who are looking for love "in all the wrong places" as I did. They needed love and God loves them. There is hope in Christ, and I am grateful.
Lovely testimony and witness. So was she brought up Anglican or Catholic? She doesn't say. She is still a very handsome woman. A greater appreciation for Douglas Gresham now.
Was v.common to be sent to a convent school with no religious or Christian upbringing- especially in the class that young Merrie came from.
Thank you Merrie! You have touched my heart in a very personal way. We've similar past history and I would love to meet you one day. If God doesn't permit it in this life on earth I look forward with greetings in heaven.
Your sister in Christ,
Tori Migliore Ferris
Wow, bless her heart and thank you, how you have touched me.
Excellent!
Thank You Merrie for sharing your story, it blessed me beyond words.
What an awesome, & moving, testimony! Thank you so much for sharing this, John Callister, & Merrie Gresham!
It was so special finding this while searching you tube. Thank you
Thank you for sharing your experience in our crazy life..
Amazing story, so much in it to learn from. LOVE must be be real to have a positive effect. But God will "cause all things to work together for good for those that love Him and are called according to His purposes."
Very good testimony. Thank you!
I really really like you ma'am thank you for sharing this wonderful testimony
Jesus is way! Thank you Merrie for sharing your testimony.
Thank you for sharing your heart!!! Such an encouragement!
I enjoyed both stories that I heard and they both touched my heart and you both ment a lot by the way you told the stories and it was touching I believed if I head more stories like this it would help me all so so if you have any more of your self I would Like to hear them because both of them was very great and I appricate you for letting me hear them that was a blessing and they were very great thank you for letting me here you
The key is to yield to God Almighty as Jesus is nnocking at the door. Only me inside my door, and you inside your door, can ipen the soor to the peraon of Jesus Christ . When you do this, life will turn to a devotion to His Word and His Will for each of our lives.
@@katharinebuckman2815 That’s true, but as I was listening to Merrie’s story, I was stunned how she as a child, mistook the instruction to give her suffering to God as an offering. So sad. He is there to take our burdens upon Himself-has already taken them and wants to LIFT our burdens from us! I also grew up in Africa, but I never had to go to boarding school. Later when my husband and I were in Indonesia, and saw the missionary children there in the mission school, and first-graders sitting on the front row of church, my heart went out to them, and I felt I could never, ever leave my child in a boarding school.
God wants us to cast our cares on Him and know He cares for us and wants to comfort us. In that case, “yielding” to Him is a much different proposition than what Merrie thought. His Word becomes food for our souls, and in His presence is fullness of Joy. (I, too, had to stop looking to my husband to be God to me! And release my anger and look to God instead.)
It was horrifying to me to think that little Merrie couldn’t look to God for help and didn’t realize how much He loved her. Every child needs to learn that first-hand. We love Him because He first loved us! 💝❤️ Merrie finally did learned this through her pain, and through the love that God sent her through a husband who loved her. She was able to share the reality of how she came to love Jesus so beautifully. We should all share our stories because we never know what people have suffered through.
Wonderful! Thanks be to God.
God loves you so much ! So sad for this pain in your young life : you will see your child in heaven
Wo! Cool! The gift of faith, hope and love. The three theological virtues.
Powerful. Better than any fictional account written for money and fame.
Thank you for sharing your testimony!
She's so beautiful:)
We are joyous that Jesus who is love is in you and your love in him. Wonderful.
A big hello from Amy with the red hair who stayed with you in 2002! Hugs! 😘
Wow that is a absolutely beautiful story! Only Jesus can make us whole!!He loves us so much!!!
Well said. Glad for the journey!
Wonderful testimony
Nice video. Thanks heaps. :D
Two very precious souls on a journey through the deep tough love truths about themselves and the Redeemer. Really appreciate the transparency and honesty, thank you both and John too.
fantastic testimony
Truly liked it. :D
The best is yet to come.
I didn't hear in the interview that Merrie actually made an acceptance, a commitment in belief in Christ as her Saviour. That after listening to the tapes and reading the New Testament that she cried out to God that she believed and accepted His Son as her Saviour and asked that He change her life. It just sounds that she read and saw what Christ was capable of doing, loving her and then went on with her life being not such an upset person.
Thank you for you comment and concern, Kimberly. I can assure you, however, Merrie's experience was totally transformational. She went on with her life as a 'changed' person. Sorry if that was vague in the short video
Perhaps you have a formulaic understanding. Merrie was a changed woman. Christ is given the credit.
Look again at the 14:00 point.
It’s very clear from 13:54 on that she discusses the entrance of Christ into her life! And her eager reception of Him!❤️
God bless you❤❤❤❤❤
Some women shouldnt have children..i mean the mother of this lady for not loving her.
good story
One decision can change you.