I don't often encourage talking about yourself, yet I often find myself talking about myself, especially when writing. Let it be stated, I am not talking about myself because I think I'm great, it's to somewhat attempt to share how God works in such intricate ways, that it's truly life changing.
Here's a testimony.
I recently wrote a book. It is a 40 day devotion, that once I decided I was going to write, the words flooded out of me. Last year, I was in a very dark place, atleast it looked that way outwardly. What was happening inside was the Master Craftsman was at work within me. He took me through a journey of Scripture that healed my brokenness and comforted me until the process was complete with deliverance and releasing the bondage (anxiety and stress) I had been carrying to God. It was a freedom I had never felt before and I felt others could relate. So, I wrote a book to use as a "tool" to guide readers through this Scripture and testimony book of encouragement and growth.
Since I completed the book, I've been loosely researching publishers. I will admit, this process overwhelms me a bit, because I feel absolutely clueless. I've reached out to a cousin and a close friend whom both have published books under their belts, and have picked their brains for first hand advice. One recommended a publisher she had just decided to do business with, after going the self publishing route a few times. I reached out this publisher to gather research. A few weeks passed and we had a "phone call appointment" about an hour ago. I will admit, I hung up the phone feeling a little bit in over my head. Many decisions to make, what's the right one?
I popped online to read up a little bit. Weighing the option of self publishing, agency, or independent publishing. While online, I decided to look up this publisher again (the first time I just glanced at the website) to get a feel for them through the website. I clicked on the "About me" section" and was stopped in my tracks.
I will offer a little background at this point. Last year, when I traveled the wilderness experience, it was on the heals of my husband having a fairly rough recovery from his 3rd kidney transplant. A transplant which we did not plan. He literally got a call in the middle of the night to go to the hospital for surgery. Our life at that time was not equipped to handle a major surgery, let alone complicated recovery. We had a baby who was only 5 months old, along with two older kids. Talk about a whirlwind. I'm convinced the timing was no accident. God used it, as He always does. The background is relevant when I tell you this next piece.
This publisher stated in their "about me" section that he was infact a part of the "One Kidney Club" as a recipient of a kidney transplant! My jaw dropped! God is often not very subtle when I have revelations. He knows I can be sort of dense, so He does often use jaw droppers, but it never ceases to blow me away!
Here we have it, a publisher that knows exactly what it's like to be a "kidney family" was being considered to publish my book that was inspired in a round about way by a kidney transplant and all of the pieces were falling together under my nose, in a way that only can come together when it's God in the drivers seat!
He even offered me a "donor discount" because I shared with him that I was my husband's 2nd kidney donor.
It will be interesting to see how this all unfolds....
