The idea for the novel came to me in the middle of a sermon at church. Needless to say, I didn’t hear any more of the pastor’s words as I processed my thoughts on writing an adventure story about three teens who get mysteriously swept away to ancient Israel. I had never written a novel before, and even thinking about such an undertaking was overwhelming. Was this what God really wanted? 

I couldn’t shake the conviction that the Lord was behind this crazy plan, so with trepidation, I set out on the adventure of writing a novel for middle-grade readers. Many negative thoughts bombarded me, trying to get me to stop and convince me that I was the wrong person for the task. Whenever I was about to listen to these voices and give up, God swooped in and inspired me to continue. And so, I persisted in working on the novel. 

I’m hardly the only one with misgivings about the Lord’s direction. When Jeremiah heard God’s call, he had many doubts. He thought he was too young and probably wondered what he would say. But God promised to be with him every step of the way. I’m not comparing myself to Jeremiah, but the principle is the same: when God calls us to a task, He promises to be with us and help us accomplish it. 

Little by little, the Lord led me further down the path, one step at a time. He guided me to the right books to read to help my craft and opened the doors for me to attend online courses that were instrumental in my progress. My main task was to be sure to listen to His promptings and follow them. 

It’s been five years since that fateful worship service, and my book, How to Kill a Giant, is being published by Elk Lake Publishing, Inc. I could have never foreseen the twists and turns that brought me to this point, but one thing is sure: God accomplishes what he determines to do. Our role is to stay close to Him and follow His guidance.