A short story, a prayer request and how God answered.

Mother’s Day weekend, I woke up knowing God wanted me to start something I had long put off. Suddenly energized, I got up and set to work. To my delight, it all moved quickly, at first.

My project? Update my Kindle book titled, What About Women?

Starting out, I intended to fix a few critical issues in the text, and to reformat an e-book published eight years ago. Ah, but during these eight years, I’ve continued to learn. When I reread what I had written, the chapters that deal with personhood, adulthood and “loving one-anothering” cried out for significant change.

Now, I’m close to completing those changes. Then I’ll need to plug the revised manuscript into its new Kindle format – something I’ve already done with two of my other books. Heading into the final stretch, I should be moving full speed ahead. Instead, it has felt increasingly like I’m slogging through wet cement.

I suspect I know why.

Again and again in What About Women? I’ve pointed out the routine and relentless dishonor that women in the church may face. My own experience has shown me how discouraging and debilitating such dishonor can be.

My experience has also shown me: When you point out any mistreatment happening in abusive systems, you often face increased mistreatment in your own life.

That proved true for me when I first published What About Women? It’s proved true many times since.

Now, I know God has prompted this update. I know he has given me grace to get this far on it and will give me grace to finish. I want to do it. But I feel very tired, and it’s getting harder and harder to move ahead.

As I sat before the Lord, asking him what to do, it seemed he was prompting me to ask …

Would you pray with me, as I seek God for wisdom and strength? Would you simply stand with me, as I update my story of all the ways he has answered, from the moment I finally asked him:

“What about women, Lord? What do you say about how women in your kingdom relate to other people and to you?”

July 12, 2021: Thank you, dear readers. Exactly two weeks after I asked you to pray, the updated e-book is live!