Interview by Carrie Fancett Pagels
I met Lynn through American Christian Fiction Writers and My Book Therapy and have been privileged to have her as a critique partner through The Fellowship of Christian Writers. Lynn is also a member of Colonial American Christian Writers and is a contributor on Colonial Quills
Lynn, welcome to Overcoming Through Time.
Would you share either the most difficult thing in your life you have had to overcome, with God’s help, or the most tragic situation or circumstance one of your character’s has had to get past?
I look over my life and see time and time again God’s help in difficult situation. He is indeed faithful and merciful. About two years ago my eldest daughter, Chenisse, had a severe asthma attack. She was not responding to treatments on the nebulizer at home. We went through the night with her on what we call the breathing machine (nebulizer) several times. About 3:00 AM I considered taking her to emergency, but decided against it. In the fog of my mind I couldn’t see how I would get the other two kids to school if I was with her in emergency (duh, my husband could have taken them). If she could just hold out, I thought to myself, I’ll call the doctor when his office opens.
And, I confess, I also didn’t want to incur the expense of a trip to emergency. We’ve done this before. The doctors did nothing more than what I was doing at home except to prescribe medicine. I could get that from the doctor’s office, I thought.
What a fool. My sweet girl was suffering because I was too cheap and too obtuse to act on her best interests.
When I took Chenisse to the doctor’s office, he looked at her, put her on oxygen and called the ambulance. The doctor’s office is only two football fields away from emergency. I rode in the ambulance with her, and held her hand while sending up a brief, “Please Lord, don’t let her die”. For the better part of the day the doctors worked to bring her oxygen level up and stabilizer her so that she could be moved to the Oakland Children’s Hospital for further treatment. That hospital is about thirty miles away. I knew the prayers of family and friends were bolding approaching the throne of grace.
By the time we settled into the ICU at the children’s hospital, my daughter was miserable. She couldn’t breathe, the medicine was making her sick to her stomach, and she was utterly exhausted. In time, Chenisse improved enough to be transported to the Asthma Center, resulting in yet another ambulance ride. A couple of days later she was released and we returned home.
At the follow up appointment I asked the doctor how serious she was when she came into his office. I know, a rather dumb question, but I wanted to know at what point I should have seen the signs indicating she required an emergency visit. He turned gray and replied that just months ago a boy died because his mother hadn’t taken him to emergency soon enough for the doctors to help him recover.
My stomach hit the floor like a cannonball. I knew she had been bad, but I didn’t know I’d put my daughter at such risk all because I was too cheap to go to emergency in the middle of the night. Yes, I could say I just didn’t know the signs, but bottom line, money should never have factored into that decision.
God’s grace and mercy, however, is bountiful. Throughout the ordeal I didn’t find myself wringing my hands or worrying in excess. I knew God had a purpose. I had no doubt in my mind Chenisse would pull through that emergency. I can say with all honesty that He kept me in perfect peace through the trial. When we were in the Asthma Center I even had opportunity to share my faith. God is indeed so very good, even though I can be so very moronic.
What is your favorite bible verse and why?
Can I say the whole Bible? Through my life I have found that God provides different verses or passages to which I can cling at that time. Recently my meditation focuses on Deuteronomy 31:6 “Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the LORD thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.”
Executing the Joab’s Fire marketing plan means exposing myself to the public like never before. Some of those encounters will include mean-spirited people or those who take offense to the message. Coping with such will require me remembering that God goes with me, and He will not fail me nor forsake me.
What formats is your book available in?
Joab’s Fire is available as an e-book. As far as I know, every e-book reader allows a person to enlarge the print to a comfortable size for him. It is also available in paperback. Eventually, it will be available in audio format, as will Best of Faith, Fiction, Fun, and Fanciful. What has been the most important thing you hope your readers will get from your books and why?
The most important thing would be acceptance of the Gospel message if a person is not saved, and for those who are, a deeper knowledge of God. I like how Paul puts it in Colossians 1:9b-11 “…that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; that ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness.”
Those who have turned from their old beliefs, thoughts, and actions to believe in the death, burial and resurrection will encounter hardships. Generally hardships come as a result of sin, whether your own or someone else’s. At times in our life we suffer because of what we choose to believe. I hope to direct my readers to God’s Word, where He tells us how to overcome every situation in which we find ourselves. Our faith, which is more precious than gold, will be tried and made more pure. Through trials we can gain a deeper understanding of God and His bountiful love and grace toward us.
As you researched your books, did you learn anything that particularly touched your heart?
In researching for Joab’s Fire, I marveled at how my ancestors overcame such great hardships. While reading my great grandfather’s memoirs I could not escape the fact of his faith. Because of his trust in God he endured much and found his hope in eternity.
Thank you Lynn for agreeing to answer these questions. Have a blessed day and keep on writing!!
Giveaway: Leave your email address and a comment for a chance to win a copy of Joab's Fire. Read Diana Flowers' Five Star review of Joab's Fire right here on Overcoming Through Time!!!
