It is hard for me to believe that it’s been 5 years since “I Knew His Voice” was published.
It started as a simple journaling for myself to put all the events in order from several journals and look what God did.
When God put the first thought into my head to write this story and publish it, I had two initial thoughts. First, this is impossible. I can’t write a book and I have no clue how to publish one. And, second, this is too big for me. Hint, those were not thoughts from God but another nefarious being.
I continued to consolidate my journal entries and filling in between the entries with other events and facts that had occurred. God didn’t let up with His desire to see me write and publish this story as a book. So, finally, one day I turned to God and said, “if you want this done, give me some sign that leaves no doubt in my heart.” “I knew His Voice” flashed into my mind and I knew at that moment this was the title of the book.
So, I shook me head at the impossibility of the request and said “yes.” Over the next year, I wrote. Honestly though, the first 80 pages were completed within a month. I then hit a wall. I had told of the miracles that had occurred to my daughter, what else to write? Eighty pages isn’t a book, it’s a long story. So, for the next year I put it aside and worked only once in a while on it. Then, one evening watching a hockey game, God put on my heart to go into the office and start writing again. I shut the TV off and pulled up the document on my laptop. I stared at it for several minutes, I had no idea what else to do. I felt God speak to my heart, “I don’t want this to be her story, My son. This is your story.” I smiled and prayed, “no, this is Your story.” And, I began to rewrite the story from the start.
Months later, as I neared completion of my writing, God brought people into our lives who knew ways to move the book to editing and publishing. Within two months, “I knew His Voice” hit Amazon and the first copies sold.
It always marvels me how God will ask us to do things that seem impossible in the moment. But, if we realize this isn’t our story but His, we are just actors, God will make marvelous things occur to glorify His Name. I am the least qualified and worthy to do anything for God – but, He calls so that there is no doubt to Whom the glory belongs.
We best bring glory to God but our simple yes. Mary gave all glory and trust to God by her Fiat and poured grace and mercy into the world. She wondered how this would be possible but her yes made it all occur. Like Mary, on a different scale, our yes is critical to God’s story.
If I had said no and never published “I knew His Voice” or had never told the story to others, many people would still be living in ignorance of God’s presence. I think of the first outsider who overheard me talk of the events in the book. He was distant, fallen away Catholic. Struggling with a breaking marriage and daughter who didn’t respect him. When he overheard me talking about these event to a friend, he was overwhelmed. We went to the church a block from work and prayed. He cried, I prayed. A month later, we spoke again and he told me that his marriage was being repaired and that Sunday he took his wife and daughter to Mass. His daughter looked at him and smiled, embraced his arm and said, “I love you, dad.”
Say yes! Make your fiat your ongoing praise to God.
I’m excited to see what God has in store from here – who will “I knew His Voice” touch next…what will God call me to?
I look forward to the incredible journey the Lord has put us on from this simple yes.
“Yes, Lord, Yes, Lord, Yes, Lord YES!”
Look for “I Knew His Voice” on Amazon or find it on the catalog page of THEROADOFFAITH.net.