"Divas of Damascus Road"
By Michelle Stimpson
Author Testimony
The more I write for Him, the more I realize the magnitude of
this calling. So many people have written me since the release
of Boaz Brown to say that God has spoken to them through
the words that He caused me to pen. There were times that
I could do nothing but sit and cry as I read the heartfelt emails – testimonies
too deep and personal to post on my guest book, too close to home
to share even now. It is during moments like these that the
gift of writing seems so weighty that it is almost overbearing. To
know that someone’s deliverance is even remotely tied to
the imperfect combination of words that flows through me is nothing
short of awesome, and it causes me to approach the task of writing
with all the more reverence. I am thankful to God for Denise
Stinson and her faith in the work that God has laid out for me
to do, and I pray that God will continue to use an imperfect vessel
like me for His glory.
When I first started writing Divas of Damascus Road,
I wondered, “Lord, who am I writing this book for?” The
story itself is one that plagued me – so much drama, so many
secrets, so many unaddressed issues. But as I began to know
the characters through writing them, I realized that there was
a little bit of me in each woman. My first reaction to this
discovery was, “Lord! I’m a mess! I’m
the one with all these problems!” I mean, I boo-hooed
along with Yolanda as she thought of the biological father she
never knew, I pulled out my cinnamon rolls and ate with Regina
as she struggled with her weight, I relived my younger brother’s
death with Dianne and I revisited the perfectionist in me with
Gloria. Thankfully, as I continued writing, God showed me
that I am continually delivered in much the same way as the characters
in the novel. Thank You, Father! You take the very
things that bother us and use them to bless us. You never
cease to amaze me
Finally, to my fellow Christian writers who have yet to start
on that manuscript – yes, I’m talking to those of you
who know that you are supposed to be writing for the Lord! God
is moving mightily in these end times, and there is much work to
be done. The body of Christ needs more edifying literature,
and God has put people in place to help bring godly works to the
forefront. When I was younger, I used to always laugh because
it always seemed that when somebody was leading a song in the choir
and they didn’t know the words, they would just sing, “You
make one step…He’ll make two…there’s
no secret…what God can do.” Well, whether they
knew the words to the song or not, what they said is true. God
is faithful to carry out the work that He starts in you (Philippians
1:6). Whatever your gift, please remember: there is
someone waiting on the other side of your obedience. Go in
the strength you have (Judges 6:14).
In His Love,
Michelle Stimpson
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GLORY GIRLS™
November 2006
Book Selection
Michelle Stimpson
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