Writing For The Soul Conference Afterglow, Part One
I’ve never been more convinced than I am today that, Taken By Storm: Hearing God Speak in the Midst of Chaos must be published. Not because certain publishers gushed over my idea, my proposal or my writing. Not because I networked in such a way as to secure valuable connections in the non-fiction publishing industry. But because everywhere I turned, God personally introduced me to a weather-beaten believer.
Hours before I arrived, I sat next to Dianna in the Chicago airport. We quickly realized we were headed to the same conference, but soon we discovered the other thing we had in common: the loss of a child. In 1985, Dianna lost her 16-year-old son in a drowning accident. That tragedy ultimately led her to Christ where He delivered her from alcoholism. Then in 2001, she lost a second child—her 33 year-old son—in a motorcycle accident.
I ate lunch with RubyAnn. RubyAnn is an 18-year-old, homeschooled student who attended this conference alone. She’s radiant, articulate and mature beyond her tender years. I hugged RubyAnn and told her I hoped someday my daughters would grow up to be just like her. I told her I know her parents must be proud of her. She paused and said, “I know my mom is proud of me. But my dad…well, my dad died when I was 11. I’ve suffered from depression because of it. But God is so good.” And then, with tears in her eyes, she embraced me, stepped back, and embraced me again.
I presented my book proposal to Kyle, an editor with a major publishing company. We spent five minutes talking about my book and fifteen minutes talking about the death of his infant son and Kyle’s subsequent battle with depression.
I met Donna at dinner. Well, actually, I met Donna in the elevator, when I told her that I loved her outfit and her glasses. And her hair. She was so stinkin’ cute. She looked at me as if she were shocked I, or anyone, would think she was stinkin’ cute. Later in the weekend, I sat next to her at dinner where she shared with me that after 40-something years of being single, God finally brought her soul mate. Nine-months later, he died in his sleep of a massive heart attack. She still struggles with grief. She feels alone. She handed me her business card where she wrote, “Sandy, I need you.”
I met John and his wife Angela at lunch. We joked and laughed and talked about their fiction book ideas. I pulled out my book proposal to show them the proposal format I used, hoping to give them some guidance in preparing theirs. After slowly paging through it, John handed it back to me with a note that read, “I could have used this book three years ago. My wife of 20 years, and the mother of my two children took her own life…this book NEEDS to be published. I pray that it will.”
In a loud ballroom, I sat across a big, round table from a lady who introduced herself by stating she had lost a child eight years ago and still struggles to find God in all of it. I managed only to stretch across the table with my business card, asking her to contact me so we could talk.
I stood in the lobby while Nicole wept. In 2008 her 2-year-old son, Konstantin, drown in the family pool. I listened as she expressed all the raw emotions of anger and devastation. I remembered feeling the exact same way, and marveled at how far God has brought me since then. I looked her in the eye and promised her she would be okay.
On the shuttle back to the airport, I sat next to a precious lady who never told me her name. Instead, she spent the 40-minute ride telling me about her 9-year-old granddaughter who suffers from a progressive quadriplegic disorder, about her married youth minister son who just left his wife, and about the letters she writes to her other son who is serving time in prison.
For a while there I wondered if I had accidentally stumbled upon the wrong conference. Maybe instead of the Writing for the Soul Conference, this was some sort of bereavement support group. But no. This is reality. This is a cross section of society.
I wondered if instead of a plastic badge reading “Hi, I’m Sandy from Louisville” mine read, “Tell me about all your deep, dark places. ” Why was I attracting so many weather-beaten believers? Then I remembered the many days, lying out before God in the aftermath of my own storms, begging Him to use all my pain for His glory.
Four days at a Christian writer’s conference and I come face-to-face with all the reasons I wrote the blog series leading to this book. Four days to be inspired by the world’s greatest authors, speakers, literary agents and mentors and instead, find my inspiration in the broken person sitting next to me at breakfast. I leave this amazing conference with the startling reality that weather-beaten believers are, indeed, everywhere. And more than almost anything…they long to hear God’s voice in the midst of their chaos.
Sweet Sandy, I am so thrilled for you–
of course still praying for your book to be
published; but also so humbled to see
the people God brought into your
path to speak to YOU, to give YOU a
loving message…that you are walking in
His will for your life & your story.
And one day, when I am published, I can
truly say that God used a beautiful woman
of God named Sandy Cooper to minister
to me in the midst of my chaos, and to
guide & encourage me to keep writing
because I have a gift. Writing has been one
of the ways I have felt redeemed, one of the
many tools God had used to heal me!
So thank you, and I love you so!
. . . I am breathless – as God so often leaves me. 🙂
Sandy, reading this reminds me that we never have to wonder what our calling is or what our ministry is or what our purpose is, the Lord places people in our paths and we don't even have to 'search' for what it is he would have us to do. You obviously are very obedient and the Lord is using you in a huge capacity. Blessings to you, and that book? He has great things coming, hang on…
Amazing, Sandy. God bless you. I do hope your book is published, but if it isn't this time around, I'm very glad you went to that conference and encountered all those people. It was definitely not wasted time, no matter what happens.
God is truly amazing.
I've been sitting here thinking of what to say…and all I can come up with is….
AMEN! Such an encouraging post…some days I need a reminder of why I continue to write, and this was one of those days.
Amazing…God is truly amazing. No-one could have orchestrated that. Bless you Sandy as you continue to obey God and walk with Him in your everyday life – with the everyday obedience that brings an abundance of fruit.
Connie, Winnipeg – Canada
This is amazing, Sandy. Just last night as I was telling my husband about an encounter I had yesterday he said to me (as he so often does), "There are no accidents." All of these encounters were God-ordained, Sandy, and I am so excited to see what He does next!
Yes, yes, yes!!! I prayed on and off all weekend that God would give you confirmation of His call on your life.
all i can say…is oh my…i love the Father.
i just emailed you.
As I started reading I myself had wondered if you wandered into the wrong conference! Sometimes life is completely upside down and inside out. Other times, things mysteriously align in unexplainable ways. What an interesting crossroad you are at.
Wow! I'm crying…
If that's not confirmation that your book needs to be published!?
Prayed for you and thought about you all week. I'm sure they loved ya.
wish i could meet all these people and hug them…and you! this book.will.be.birthed. just believe, sister, i do.
I just found your blog and was sent from Melanie Dorsey via FB and I am sooo glad she sent me!
What a powerful journey the Lord has taken you on….I agree so many are hurting and need a touch, a word, some hope…anything to make the pain, the questions, the storms able to bear!
Praying your book is published SOON!!!
I'm so proud of you Sandy. Your testimony is already being used to minister and I can't wait for you book to be published and minister to so many more. Thank you for releasing your pain to God and releasing Him to use it for His glory.
Wow, sounds like you just got confirmation over and over!
Praying for you continually!
Sandy!!!!!!!!! I am so excited about all that God is doing to confirm HIS plans to use you and the message He has entrusted to you. I feel this urgent need to say this. Please hear it with love and passion. From a woman who wishes she had more time, please start writing it now. I know you have some written but you will probably need 50,000 words. Don't wait for a contract. Write what you have now while it's fresh on your heart and all this stories are on the surface in your thoughts. Interview those people. Write their stories. Weave in more of what God gives you.
As one who is now under contract, oh how I wish I had started writing sooner. I know some would say not to do this, but you can always change it later. The thing is, it takes so much time and when you start writing about storms and chaos – you are going to start experiencing both – and it will take time to live through those and then write what you know and more that HE will teach you through them. So write NOW and then add to it. I promise you can trust me on this one. And if yo have any questions, email me.
So stinkin proud of you and can't wait to read your book!!!!!!
Hugs,
Renee