Walk Worthy Press: Seasons by Bonnie Hopkins

Author Testimony

My heart is filled with praise as I consider the amazing grace God has extended, and the wondrous way He has worked in my life to produce my first novel, Seasons.

It's fascinating to see how My Heavenly Father began this work in me long before I even thought or imagined it. And... how He was faithful to complete it. Philippians 1:6.

Unlike many authors whose entire lives have been immersed in their desire to write, I can honestly say that God had to use adversities to birth that desire in me and to show me that, "I can do all things through Him who gives me strength." Philippians 4:13.

For many years that tormenting question (Why am I here?) plagued my steps and sent me on fruitless endeavors to find the elusive answer. Inevitably, I met with failure, time after time.

Through failures and myriad troubles, (which I won't enumerate here) God was applying Jeremiah 29:11-12 to these experiences. "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, " plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

A great source of tribulation came on the job in the form of writing assignments. Although seldom listed among the duties, somehow in every position I was given the responsibility of composing diverse, arduous documents. Having no formal training in writing, I often felt inadequate for the task, and had to learn how to rely on God's promise that "His grace is sufficient and His strength is made perfect in my weakness." 2 Corinthians 12:9.

I didn't realize that God's hand was directing these unwanted writing assignments to me in order to develop and prepare me to produce Seasons. But satan did! And that enemy viciously worked to prevent any positive seeds from taking root by using others to make disparaging comments meant to destroy my self confidence and skill that the Lord was seeking to develop in me. I was frequently disheartened and perplexed by the persecution I couldn't comprehend.

Somewhere along the journey, I discovered that I enjoyed creating inspirational materials. Excitedly, I asked, "Lord, could this be Your plan?" But curiously, God remained silent, as I sought in my finite wisdom to find my own purpose. "Nevertheless Lord, not my will but thine be done," I thought to add. "And He who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will." Romans 8:27.

In 2001, I learned just how awesome He truly is. "God is able to do immeasurably more than all I know to ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within me." Ephesians 3:20. I discovered that because of some changes in my retirement plan, I would be eligible to retire in 2002. Joyfully, I thanked God as I recalled that decades before, my employer had given me the opportunity to select a retirement plan from several options. Although it was sacrificial and very difficult at the time, I made an irrevocable decision to select the most expensive, but also the most beneficial plan. I regretted that decision many, many times as I struggled to make ends meet.

But God, who knows the future, had ordered my steps all those years before, when I didn't know exactly why I made such a sacrificial decision. So, as I considered the resulting attractive options that the sacrifices had provided, I rejoiced in the fact that He is good...all the time!

The day eventually arrived when I knew I was going to retire. Again, God was directing my steps because in my naïveté I believed retirement would provide an opportunity to concentrate on creating inspirational greeting cards! As I counted down to the day, I heard all the reasons from others as to why I should not retire. "You're too young; it's foolish to retire when you'll only have to find another job; why leave when you can stay and watch your benefits grow to the max?" However, none of it fazed me. In spite of the negative comments, I retired in 2002.

The next phase of my journey to Seasons was about to begin. When God is charting the course, He knows exactly how to orchestrate our circumstances to keep us on His course. Several incidents occurred around that time to distract and steal the joy of my retirement victory. I became so overwhelmed that I decided that writing about these experiences would be cathartic and help me place things into the proper prospective, so I began keeping a journal.

" Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is His faithfulness." Lamentations 3:22-23.

Weeks after starting the journal, I was reading through my entries and praising God for His mercies when an odd thought entered my mind ... perhaps others who needed encouragement would be blessed by reading this! Hallelujah! The seeds God had been faithfully planting and nurturing had finally been able to make their way through the embattled soil of my mind!

The thought of writing a novel was still out of the realm of my consideration. But because I had experience at putting different types of documents together, (the resented writing assignments) I thought a devotional would be the way to eventual victory.

Right on cue, the enemy screamed negatives and fear into my mind: "What do you have to say that will help anybody? You need to write in your little journal and be content."

"What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us?" Romans 8:31. I prayed! "Lord, where are You are leading me? If it is Your will that I write something that will encourage and inspire others, then please guide me. And above all Lord, help me to bring Glory to Your Name."

I was extremely nervous when I sat down at my computer to start working on my devotional. I didn't know what I was doing, or where I was trying to go, but incredibly, the words flowed and before I knew it, I had thousands of words in the document I was still calling my 'devotional'.

Before long, I realized the document was shaping up to be more of a story than a devotional, and finally, the fascinating thought cautiously entered my mind that maybe...just maybe...perhaps... it could become a book. "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him,, and are called according to His purpose." Romans 8:28.

But it wasn't going to be easy. Satan wouldn't have been on his job if it had been. Right away, things veered off course. If it was going to be a book, I had to make it a good one, I decided. Stories needed exciting plots, interesting and diverse characters, and sizzling love scenes. Enthusiastically, I deviated from my path and began focusing on creating the elements that I reasoned would make the story pop with excitement, forgetting all about the encouragement factor.

I quickly discovered with disappointment that this plan was failing. The story just refused to flow anymore.

With another apparent failure before me, I was jolted back to reality. Obviously, writing a book was beyond my capability. After all, nothing in my experiences had prepared me for such a mammoth task. In discouragement, I returned to the devotional idea.

" Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God's." 2 Chronicles 20:15

Remarkably, (Devine intervention?) a light bulb exploded in my mind, and I realized that it was when I detoured and tried to turn the story in the direction that I, in my human understanding, thought it should go that I had hit a brick wall.

" Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on you own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight." Proverbs 3:5-6

When my hands fell to the keyboard again, I asked the Lord to use me to tell a story that would not only be encouraging and inspirational, but would also draw others closer to Himself.

Immediately 'Seasons' began to fall into place. I wondered where the scenes and characters came from because I really didn't know what I was doing! Amazingly, I had reached eighty thousand words before I knew it, and the characters and their plights continued to play out scenes in my mind. I actually began to worry about how I would finish the story that just kept coming.

It was time for satan to show himself again. As others learned what I was doing, I received strong reactions from some of them who felt that I should be devoting my time to more practical and spiritually appropriate Kingdom building work, instead of trying to write a fictional book. The possibility that they were right filled me with doubt, uncertainty, and guilt.

In an effort to alleviate the guilt, I put the story aside and started a consuming round of 'acceptable' Kingdom service. I stayed so busy I started wishing for my old job where there would have been a chance to rest every now and then. It was interesting to see which ministry would be the first to call each morning.

" Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers." Galatians 6:9-10.

But I knew by the discontent in my soul that I was out of God's will. The Holy Spirit brought to my remembrance, the burning desire that had prompted me onto the writing path: to say a word of encouragement to others. My volunteer 'service' reached few and did little to deliver that encouragement. It dawned on me that God has to use a diversity of methods to deliver His message to the many who seldom, if ever, entered a church.

In the meantime, the story had been haunting me. Plots, scenes and characters from Seasons constantly invaded my thoughts and finally compelled me to return to the computer, where remarkably, the story continued to unfold, and amazingly, ideas for spin-offs, and other stories began germinating in my mind.

Then one day, I was almost shocked to realize that Seasons was complete. I went back through it, tweaking, refining, and looking for ways to more effectively demonstrate God's redeeming message through the story that though fictional, addressed very real and eternal issues.

Satan delivered another hit at that point. Fear induced procrastination was suddenly alive and well.

" For God did not give us a spirit of fear, but a spirit of power, of love and of self discipline." 2 Timothy 1:7.

Fear waged a battle as I considered the next obvious step, and satan whispered that no publisher would accept the work of a novice who didn't know the rudiments of the craft. I admit it was extremely difficult to garner the courage to submit it, but I finally did it.

Weeks later, when I received a call from Denise Stinson and heard the words, "We want to publish your book," it was most assuredly shouting time! God is Awesome! Mighty! Gracious! Merciful! and Worthy to be praised!

The fact that Seasons is now a book and will be in bookstores everywhere is a testimony of how God is constantly with us and for us. Remember how He strategically directed unwanted writing responsibilities to me? How I originally started out keeping a journal as a way to ease my troubled mind? How He arranged an early retirement at just the right time? How miraculously, the journal evolved into a story (which ended up as Seasons)? And incredibly, how the unexpected call came from Walk Worthy Press stating they wanted to publish it?!

God, in His awesome wisdom planned and directed my life along a path that was designed to prepare the way for Seasons to come forth. Now, ya'll know, that is something to still be shouting about! I am ever rejoicing, and believing that Seasons is going to be a blessing to multitudes! To God Be The Glory!

Stay tuned! While Seasons characters take a well-deserved rest, (they'll be back!) they opened the way for those in the next book who are anxious to tell their story!

Blessings!

Bonnie Hopkins

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