Happy July, friends! My apologies for another later-than-planned newsletter. I wanted to be able to share with you a little bit of cool book news that took a little longer than expected to be ready. Take a look at “Behind the Screen” for the update! Also enjoy a short, encouraging reflection for the painful times that make us ask, “Why?”
When Pain Seems Purposeless
One morning eighteen summers ago, I rode my horse Ginger under an unseen wire, got hauled backward to a forty-five-degree angle, and wound up with excruciating hip pain for weeks.
I almost didn’t include this story in my book. For one thing, the incident was raw, almost embarrassing. For another, I wasn’t sure the episode fit into the book’s storyline. Compared with the world-altering saga of my back surgery or the unavoidable tale of my college health crash, “the wire incident” seemed like a blip on the radar of my journey. Why be so vulnerable or torture my reader unnecessarily?
Yet, for all its brevity and relative obscurity, that incident remains a spiritual milestone for me. For years afterward, whenever I pictured complete surrender and intimacy with God, I thought of that experience.
As tough as it is, sometimes we need hard things. Sometimes, to save our lives, we have to let parts of them go or change. We give up short-term comfort for long-term wellbeing, or endure pain in order to heal.
I call my back surgery a “miracle-shrouded campaign to save my life.” In a way, the wire incident was God’s planned effort to further develop my life in Him. I’m thankful that my parents loved me enough to put me through the calculated risks of back surgery. And I’m thankful my Heavenly Father loves me enough to let me hurt for my good.
When you encounter pain that seems purposeless, lean into the Lord. Ask for His perspective. Look for ways to deepen your relationship with Him. Keep praying, studying His Word, fellowshipping with His people, and serving others with your God-given gifts.
He will bring you through this painful time. One day you’ll look back and be able to see His hand at work in it. Until then, trust Him. And thank Him for loving you through the hard things.
Behind the Screen
This month has been fairly quiet on the writerly front. After struggling a bit with my book proposal, I enrolled in a short but incredibly helpful online course on writing book prloposals. Not only do I want my current proposal to be the best it can be, but good proposal-writing is a skill I’ll need for my entire author career. Now I’m tackling the slow, hard work of applying what I learned. It’s satisfying, but also a little daunting. Prayers would be appreciated!
Now for the fun news: Just Megan’s front cover has been updated with the Selah Award seal! All future copies will be printed with the updated cover. Check it out!
Help others find grace and resilience in the face of the unknown.
Did you read and enjoy Just Megan? Let others know by leaving a quick review on Amazon! Reviews help books get found and increase their chances of being picked up by new readers. Plus, I’d love to hear what you think!
Thank you for your support!
Jesus loves you. Embrace His love and live it out.
BeanSpired Editions 