Are you walking through something hard, with no end in sight? Do you ever wonder how–or even if–God’s grace will sustain you for the long-haul?
When three of our five children were diagnosed with a rare genetic condition in 2013, Scott and I were deluged by grief. Even after the initial flood of new medical terminology, specialist appointments, testing, and medications subsided a bit, so many questions remained unanswered.
What would this prognosis mean for each of our children individually, as well as our family collectively, going forward? How would God provide and sustain us for a long-term trial? And what did it mean to live God-glorifying lives, day after day, in this middle part of our story?
As I processed these questions and prayed, I began to write. My words were stilted and sometimes forced, full of facts that often only hinted at my emotions. But I captured scenes and stories in an attempt to mark the moment our lives changed and to provide a history so that, looking back, our family could recall God’s faithfulness in the middle of our unfinished story.
Those paragraphs became chapters which became a manuscript. And then they stayed untouched, saved in a folder on our computer, until this past year when I opened, scrolled, and reread.
I prayerfully rewrote some chapters with a new vision and sent a book proposal to The Good Book Company this past fall, not expecting to hear back any time soon, if at all. But in God’s kind providence, I received a warm email from an acquisitions editor in January; my book was pitched in February; and I signed a contract in March!
I love the shape this new book is taking, and it’s my hope and prayer that—through both stories and Scripture—it will encourage many to live for Christ in the middle of their stories, even and especially the hard parts.
I feel a great dependence on the Lord as I write this book, and your prayers would be appreciated. If you’re interested in joining my prayer team, please send me an email via katie@katiefaris.com.
I look forward to sharing more details in the future!
Katie Faris 