Hope in the Tough Stuff - Carol Harrison

 I reluctantly began to write again, about a dozen years ago, after many years of thinking I could not and therefore should not write, but that is a story for another day. I had a story that needed be told, a story of how the God of the Bible is still God today, even when the answer he provided did not necessarily match my expectations. I had orally shared parts of the story to the ladies group at the church I attended at the time and a few other people.

My husband and daughter encouraged, nagged, pushed me ( the word I chose to describe their actions varied by the day, depending on how I felt like receiving their words)  to use the copious notes and reports in my possession to write the story. I resisted for a long time. God began to work on my heart through a variety of circumstances until I obeyed. He put amazing people in my life to encourage me, pray for me, teach me and give me helpful critiques. After more than two years of actually working on the piece, I held the finished product in my hand.

 My book, Amee's Story, tells about the journey  of my youngest daughter who had a stroke at birth and was not expected to live and our journey with her, watching the miracles of God unfolding in front of us. Everything she does today, over thirty five years later, is medically impossible according to all the specialists who have worked with her. The book has gone to places I have not been able to physically go and brought hope to people I have never met, yet someone got a book for them to read. I thank God that he has used my reluctant obedience for his glory. 


Comfort and hope are things we all need at various times in our lives because we all go through tough stuff. I think we all have times where we need to see a glimmer of hope when everything around looks dark and hopeless.  At times like these,  having someone who can empathize with our plight because of what they have personally experienced of the comfort of God adds an extra measure of hope, at least I have found this to be true in my own life.

 2 Corinthians 1: 3,4 says, "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God."

I even realized how writing a memoir such as this, might offer a reader a glimmer of hope and the realization that God is still at work in the lives of people. God has used this story beyond my expectations and dreams. One of my cousins, who is not a believer and does not want me to talk to her about faith, read the book and wrote an email to tell me that she didn't have my faith but the book made her think. I pray that she will be open to hearing more about this amazing God I serve who is waiting for her to come to him.

 I have spoken at various events, to all ages of people from children to older adults and God often prompts me to share some of what I learned from Amee's story but also other times I have struggled with the tough stuff of life. There are times I have resisted, not wanting to become so vulnerable to people I do not know. Yet every time, as I choose to obey the nudges in my heart, God has used it to comfort someone who is there, encourage them that they are not alone and that hope is found in faith in God through Jesus.


I know there have been times in my life where God has used a Christian work of fiction to captured my attention and bring my focus to a lesson God wanted and needed me to learn. Other writers had been obedient to what God asked them to write and I learned something beyond simply being entertained. I believe if we are faithful with writing our words or speaking as God opens doors for us to share, He will use them for his glory. We might never know who it encouraged, comforted or challenged but occasionally someone will share what our words meant to them, how it helped them or made them think. God only asks each of us to be faithful in sharing the messages of hope and comfort to a lost and hurting word.
Are we willing?

As a speaker, published author and storyteller, Carol Harrison is passionate about mentoring people of all ages and abilities to help them find their voice and reach their fullest potential. She shares from her heart, telling stories from real life experiences and God’s Word to encourage people and help them find a glimmer of hope no matter what the circumstances. She believes we need to continuously grow in our walk with God and lives out her storytelling passion by speaking at women’s events and retreats, Bible Camps as well as school assemblies and church events. Carol is a wife, mother of four adult children and grandmother to twelve. She makes her home is Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada.

http://www.carolscorner.ca

carol@carolscorner.ca