In two days I’ll be a published author.
The funny thing is, while I have written prolifically all my
life both in jobs and for pleasure, this was not a goal I was actively
pursuing.
It’s kind of one of those extra unexpected gifts from God.
We all have things we pray and pray and pray for, and
finally see happen, and that’s cool. Most of us also have things we pray and
pray and pray for that don’t happen, and that’s hard.
So getting something you hadn’t been praying for- well, that’s
like getting a dozen roses when it isn’t your birthday or Mother’s Day. You
could say getting published in 21 Days of Grace with a bunch of other cool
authors for me is like getting flowers delivered on an ordinary Monday.
It feels redemptive as well.
I find personal significance in the fact that this book is being released
almost to the day of the 7th anniversary of my very painful divorce. The Pain Redemption. It started as one of my many blog musings and
ending up developing into a devotional.
On so many levels, God has indeed redeemed my
pain. The pain of parental rejection has
helped me be a better parent and highly value my relationships with my kids. The pain of spousal betrayal and the shame of
divorce taught me about grace and the importance of extending it to others. The pain of church and ministry conflicts
taught me not to overlook character issues in leadership for the sake of the
work of the ministry, or for the sake of acceptance.
God redeemed the preparation I was doing for the mission
field into job training that allowed me to support my family in work I love
here in the States as a midwife. He
redeemed my time overseas as a missionary into understanding for the issues my
missionary patients face, as well as cultural sensitivity for my international
patients.
And finally, he has redeemed the writing I have done to
process my pain and my journey toward healing into something that will
hopefully be an encouragement to others as well.
My prayer is as you read each story in 21 Days of Grace, you will be encouraged by the themes of grace and redemption
that are present in them all.
Available from Amazon, Walmart.com, Christianbook.com, or BarnsandNoble.com
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