Not every story needs a publisher, a book launch or a place on the bestseller list. But as we reflect on what God has done in our lives, we all have something worth writing down – even if it’s only for those closest to us, says Gemma Hunt
Does everybody have a book inside them?
This is a question I’ve been thinking about for some time. I remember my brilliant mentor posing it to me many years ago. At the time, I really wasn’t sure she was right, despite being an author herself. She even gave me the title of a book she believed I needed to write.
Now, I’ll admit it, I still haven’t written that book, and she probably told me to do so about 13 years ago. But it still plays on my mind. Even though I am now an established author.
I’ve written children’s books based on the experiences of my mixed-race family, sharing Bible stories within a modern-day family. I wanted young families to read them together and apply the things we learn from Jesus to their own lives.
Just this weekend, somebody who has faithfully prayed for me for years, whom I’ve recently reconnected with, said: “I was praying for you. I need to ask you a question. Are you writing a book?”
I just laughed and said no, knowing I do not have capacity right now, alongside everything else I’m doing. She looked at me with real encouragement and said: “I think you need to pray about this.”
Psalm 107:2 encourages those the Lord has redeemed to tell their story. Perhaps sharing ours is one way to speak of what He’s done.
So here I am, writing, but not a book. This may be my slight procrastination, or just the fact that I have a writing deadline for Premier Christianity that I need to honour! But I’m going to reconsider that initial thought from my mentor.
I don’t know about you, but I often think we’re saturated with books, as much as I love them and enjoy reading. I doubt myself and think: do I need to contribute to this already saturated world of literature with my own thoughts and opinions?
Everybody seems to have an opinion these days, and if they’re not writing about it, they’re podcasting about it. Yet I’ve recently been helping a friend who has been penning the memoirs of her late father, purely to have copies of his story for her children and grandchildren. It’s been a real labour of love. Having read numerous rewrites, I can see how so many of us have stories to tell.
As a gift for my in-laws last year, we gave them a book-writing kit, enabling them to tell the story of their lives, from childhood to how they met and their experiences of parenting. The aim is to give it to us as a family, so we can cherish their stories. The clever thing is that this particular company allows video and audio notes too. We’ll be able to capture their voices, their tone and intonation, which can sometimes be lost through the written word.
Those of us who know and love the stories of Jesus know just how impactful they’ve been in our lives. Psalm 107:2 encourages those the Lord has redeemed to tell their story. Perhaps sharing ours is one way to speak of what He’s done.
So this is a challenge to me and to you. Seek the Lord and ask: is there a story I need to tell? It might not be published in hardback with a big book launch. It might be something small we do for the family.
But maybe, there is a book inside you too.
