"The
Amen Sisters"
by Angela Benson
[Reading
Guide]
Author Testimony
"I experienced great joy and profound relief when
my first Christian novel was published. I rejoiced because
I had been obedient to the Lord and created something for
His glory; I breathed a sigh of relief because that novel
was hard evidence of my repentance from writing novels that
did not glorify Him. There is no worse feeling than doing
something that you know is not pleasing to God so I often
ask myself how I did it? The only answer that I have is,
where your writing is, that's where your heart is also.
I had to acknowledge that writing books that didn't glorify
God was an indication that my heart had turned away from
its first love, my dear heavenly Father. The scripture is
always true: fresh water and bitter water can't come from
the same fountain (James 3:11-12). How could I write a novel
that glorified God when I was living a life that didn't?
Once I repented and my heart was turned back to God, my
writing could reflect that difference.
I cannot fully describe the joy that fills my heart when
I see the benefits that have come from being obedient to
God in my writing. And there are lots of benefits, including
recognition from my peers and words of encouragement from
people of God all over the world. But the biggest benefit
is the peace I feel in knowing that I am doing the will
of God and performing my function as a member of the body
of Christ and the family of God. On the pages of my stories,
readers get to see my struggles and challenges as well as
my victories and failures. While the stories are fiction,
they are built on very real and very honest emotions. In
each story I write, I am able to share my experience with
God for others to read and embrace. That is an honor and
privilege that I have done nothing to deserve.
I sometimes ask the Lord, Why me? And the answer is always
the same, Why not you? That answer keeps me humble because
it reminds me that it's not about me; it's about Him. That
simple truth is what I want to show in all my books. I want
to show how we struggle and fall when we focus on ourselves
and our situations. My goal is to encourage and the only
way I know to do that is to put the focus on God where it
belongs. My prayer with every book I write is that readers
will find themselves on the pages and be encouraged to look
to God in whatever situation they find themselves. The lesson
I learn with every book is that I have to stay focused on
Him if the books I write are to be of any spiritual value.
The Amen Sisters is my third Christian novel and I feel
the same joy with it that I felt with my first Christian
novel. I have poured my heart out on the pages and I pray
that readers open their hearts as they read it and receive
the encouragement that God has provided specifically for
each of them."
Angela Benson
|
