This conversation took place at my house last fall.
ME: What? Me, write a book?
MY SON: Hahahahahahahahaha…. (falls off the chair. Picks himself up. Still laughing.) Yeah.
ME: How can I write a book? I can’t even write a grocery list. I get confused.
MY SON: Yes, but when you tell someone about the Lord, nobody notices your brain injury. They just get blessed.
ME: That’s different. I just listen to him and repeat what he says.
MY SON: You think writing about him would be any different?
ME: (doubtful) I don’t know.
MY SON: Have you tried?
ME: Well…
MY SON: You wrote a book before.
ME: Before the brain injury.
MY SON: People loved it.
ME: BEFORE THE BRAIN INJURY.
MY SON: PEOPLE LOVED IT.
MY SON: You’ve written great devotionals for the church website. Don’t try writing a whole book at first. Just try writing a page at a time.
Thus began the first step on a journey, and it took a lot of courage at the time. You see, about four years ago, I had ghostwritten a book for someone else and the manuscript was well received… but that was before a car accident left me unable to think or function. And I had written many devotionals for the church; but writing a short devo versus writing a book, it’s like building a bookcase or building a house. Whole different skill set!
But I did start, just one page at a time. I knew from before that a lot of what I wrote would get thrown out, but that’s okay. I am so in love with Jesus and I love talking about him. I just started sharing the truth that had taken hold of me, the truth that gave me hope and courage even on the darkest days. And I was amazed when a clear style and structure began to emerge. That HAD TO be a gift from the Lord! I knew it didn’t come from me.
As I prayed about what I was writing, it felt like the Lord whispered: “I don’t need you to write another book with great information. Let other people do that. Instead, write your passion for me. Write my passion for my children.”
So that’s what I’ve done. I’m telling the stories of people I know (though I changed their names) and how God loves every one of us, right where we are. I hope you’ll be able to relate to my friends! And I very much hope, hearing how God connects with us in our messy places, you’ll get a stronger, realer sense of his amazing, passionate, very personal love for YOU.
I love sharing about my journey. And I really love sharing about the courage, joy and hope of everyday people like me who are letting God into their lives.
His love, his presence, they change EVERYTHING!