God weaves people in and out of our lives for our good and for His purpose. Today, I’m excited to share an example of this truth with you.
One morning last fall, I filled out the back of my Jenze calendar, then posted a picture on Instagram and forgot about it.
My dorky caption for this picture last fall was: “Seriously? That’s all I got? Yep. And a shout out to my Diet Coke.”
At the same time, unbeknownst to me, my friend Kris was feeling a tug to write and publish a book about her heart-wrenching journey through Lent the previous year. This was not a book she ever dreamed of writing. It would be a hard book with a message of the all-important, yet unattractive, refining process that takes places when you allow God to work in your life. Because as they say, He accepts you right where you are, but he loves you too much to let you stay there.
Kris remembered seeing my silly picture on Instagram and contacted me. She shared her project with me, and gave me the privilege of reading her story in its earliest stages.
I remember reading the very first draft of her story. I couldn’t put it down.
I went on to offer my suggestions. My services. And I realized, slowly, that this may be something more than a one-time dream come true.
But I didn’t want to push it.
I decided to rest in the fact that if it was meant to be the start of something more, God would orchestrate it.
In the weeks that followed, other writers started telling me about their writing projects. I was doing nothing different, but opportunities began to take shape.
I decided it was time to offer my editing services. Formally. So, Soleil Editing was born.
Looking back, I’m amazed at how so many seemingly small decisions over the last year have led me straight to this post.
Now it’s time for Kris’ book to make its way into the hands of readers. Your hands, if you want it.
I’m so proud of her. I’m also inspired by her.
God used rejection and perceived failure to get Kris’ attention, to get her heart back on the right track. His track. And when you are humbled, you have two options. You can either get angry about it, which leads to all sorts of ugly behavior like wallowing in self-pity, lashing out at loved ones, and ultimately results in a closed off heart. Or you can accept the humbling. Admit you’ve been wrong. Done wrong. And we all have been there. Are there.
Self examination is difficult at best and horrifyingly painful at worst.
~Kris Camealy, Holey, Wholly, Holy: A Lenten Journey of Refinement
Remember this post about the importance of knowing the Bible? Well, I still believe it. And the Bible says that, in Christ, the weak are made strong. The humble are lifted high. Kris was humbled. She moved past the pain of rejection. She grew courage. She wrote her story. And now she shares it with you.
With God it’s all or nothing. Loving God halfway is the same as not loving Him at all. Loving Him out of mere obligation is equally useless.
~Kris Camealy, Holey, Wholly, Holy: A Lenten Journey of Refinement
If you’re looking to dig a little deeper during the weeks leading up to Easter, I whole-heartedly recommend Holey, Wholly,
Holy: A Lenten Journey of Refinement. It’s free to newsletter subscribers and is also available for purchase through Amazon (Kindle or paperback).
Speaking of Lent, last year I tried to give up complaining. The second day of Lent, my life was turned upside down and that ”sacrifice” was thrown out the window. I failed miserably. But you want to hear something funny? My current client? Well, her book is all about breaking the habit of complaining. Yup. God knows what He’s doing.
