Although I’ve known for years that it was God’s desire for me to write Modern Day Noah, and share my story, the thought of doing it was still very daunting. On one hand, I was super excited to share the dramatic ways that He worked in my life, in order to encourage others. But on the other hand, I struggled with my own insecurities about whether or not it would be good enough. Yet, I was extremely confident that if He was directing me to share my story, that meant that He would find a way to use it somehow. But still, I was scared.
So, the first weekend that I announced on social media that I had officially published Modern Day Noah, I felt super queasy inside. It was a mixture of excitement, relief and great fear. At church, while bowing my head in prayer at the end of the service, I said, “God, I am praying for the people that read Modern Day Noah. May you have all of the glory. It’s all about you, not me. But, while I’ve got you, God, can I please order a side of reassuring feedback to settle my heart.” I sort of giggled at the notion, but I truly meant it. I needed something that told me I hadn’t just made a complete fool out of myself.
Just as I had shared throughout MDN, God didn’t waste any time answering that prayer. I’d say he answered it almost immediately. Without missing a beat, I received an email with feedback about MDN from someone that I don’t even know. It’s one thing when your friends tell you something you did impacted them. But it’s a whole other story when a stranger takes the time to reach out and tell you how your words impacted them.
On top of that, she was so moved by the book that she wanted my address so that she could send me a water color picture she had made. (She’s an artist.) You’ll find the gorgeous painting to the left of this paragraph. This gesture was such a strong, positive reaction to the book (and to my prayer for reassurance), that I immediately began to cry. I was so grateful that He took the time to reassure me through her words and actions.
Within the next 24-hours, I had two other people reach out to me because they wanted to share the impact my story was having on them. Both of these people were someone that I’ve known, sort of at a distance, for quite some time. But not anyone that would have felt obligated to reach out to me and tell me something encouraging just to make me feel better. They really were moved. As always, I was blown away by the level at which God answered my simple request. I hope you know that He’s waiting to hear from you too!