Wow! It’s been a whirlwind around the Bowers’ Household since January, but I’m so excited to say that we are officially sending our manuscript to our editor this week! Shazam! This has been a dream for over 15 years and the fact that it’s now becoming a reality is really quite incredible.
Part of the reason it took so long was that I just wasn’t being obedient to what God had been calling me to do for a while. I had many, “Moses Moments” where I told God I wasn’t equipped to write the story, that I didn’t know the first thing about putting a book proposal together. My list of excuses was a long-running script of doubts and fears. But, last September, after God made some pretty incredible things happen and after countless hours of prayer, I simply surrendered this project to God and said I would jump in head first if He would lead me.
And He has definitely led me these past few months!
We’ve been up to our eyeballs with stacks of papers and an abundance of yellow sticky notes as we’ve read, re-read, made changes and looked up details in my old journal and in the 19 volumes of medical records. We’ve had to step back numerous times to just remember the facts from nearly 16 years ago. Through the process, we’ve had to ask family and friends what their recollections were of certain events. In doing all of this, we’ve continued to heal. It’s been tough emotionally sometimes to have to go back and relive some of the most difficult days of our lives, but in many ways it’s been cathartic. We’ve heard so many little details of our story it’s been like putting the last little pieces of a huge puzzle together.
We’ve been covering this project in prayer and have asked some close friends and family to do the same. As our story has been written, it’s clear that it encompasses not just our lives, but the many people who have touched our lives in the process. It’s a huge responsibility to make sure that these people are portrayed correctly and that we haven’t distorted anything that would cause them to feel hurt in any way by what we have shared on paper. That’s not our intention in any way.
As we have been diligently working on the final edits to the book, a strong sense of responsibility has become almost overwhelming at times. First, I want to make sure this project pleases God and that it brings Him glory. Second, I want to make sure the book is written in such a way that even though it’s considered a memoir, it’s not just a story about us; I want it to be a story about what God has done through us and for us. Third, I want our story to be able to somehow touch someone else’s life. I want to bring someone else a sense of hope and encouragement.
It’s a big task with many responsibilities, but I know that with God’s help, we can finish this race.
So, with excitement and a bit of trepidation, I’m pleased to tell you that this book is almost finished! Thank you to all our friends and family who have walked with us through this process, because we could not be here without you.
Stay tuned!
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