Tuesday, May 19, 2015

His Grace is Sufficient by Robin Lee Hatcher

Robin Lee Hatcher
I have been writing novels for the past 34 years, and I have been writing as my full-time job for the past 25 years. During those years, both my personal and professional lives have experienced highs and lows, and I have continued to write through them all.

But in 2005, I began a journey through grief and loss unlike anything I’d experienced before. I was in a period of deep mourning for over a year. The Bible tells us that God collects our tears in a bottle (Psalm 56:8). The bottle with my name on it must be very large because I shed buckets of tears in those many months.

This was a wretched time for me as a writer as well. Trying to be creative was difficult and sometimes impossible. But even with an understanding publisher, deadlines still had to be met because the mortgage still had to be paid. So I wrote whether I felt like it or not, and I trusted God to take care of the words I put on paper.

While I couldn’t seem to focus on reading fiction during that time (a difficult confession for a novelist), God placed in my hands three stories of women who walked through dark times in their own lives and came out on the other side: When I Lay My Isaac Down by Carol Kent; Broken on the Back Row by Sandi Patty; and In Every Pew Sits a Broken Heart by Ruth Graham. These books touched my heart and were definitely part of the healing process.

In the fall of 2006, I attended a Women of Faith event. Two of the authors mentioned above—Carol Kent and Sandi Patty—were featured speakers. I cannot point to anything in particular that was said or that happened while I was there, but when I came home, the cloud had lifted. The deep mourning was over, and I began to mend, to find my way in the “new normal” of my life. I had personally experienced the truth of 2nd Corinthians 12:9 which says:

And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me.
(NASB)

Not only is His grace sufficient, but nothing a child of God experiences is wasted in His economy. A number of years later, God took those darkest days of my life and called me to write a novel that would take all of the emotions I’d experienced and use them to encourage others. A Promise Kept became my work of praise and thanksgiving to a God who answers prayers in unexpected times and ways.

None of us can know what dark waters we may be called to pass through in our lives, but we can hold onto the promise that His grace is and will always be sufficient. Amen.
About the Author
Robin Lee Hatcher is the best-selling author of over seventy-five books. Her well-drawn characters and heartwarming stories of faith, courage, and love have earned her both critical acclaim and the devotion of readers. She has been honored with Lifetime Achievement Awards from both Romance Writers of American (2001) and American Christian Fiction Writers (2014).

Robin is a 2015 RITA® Award finalist for her novella, Love Letter to the Editor. This is her tenth RITA finalist nomination and two of her books have been RITA Award winners. In April 2015, A Promise Kept received the Reviewers' Choice Award for Best Inspirational Novel from RT Book Reviews. Her numerous other awards include the Christy Award for Excellence in Christian Fiction, Romantic Times Career Achievement Awards for Americana Romance and for Inspirational Fiction, the Carol Award, and the 2011 Idahope Writer of the Year Award.

Robin enjoys being with her family, spending time in the beautiful Idaho outdoors, reading books that make her cry, and watching romantic movies. She and her husband make their home on the outskirts of Boise.

To learn more, visit her website at http://www.robinleehatcher.com

Whenever You Come Around
Whenever You Come Around
by Robin Lee Hatcher
 Charity Anderson turned her back on Kings Meadow years ago, with good reason, and has avoided visits to her hometown whenever possible. But with her house in Boise damaged by floodwaters and a book deadline bearing down, staying in her parents’ empty home seems her only option. However, being in Kings Meadow dredges up a painful secret, and old fears threaten to overwhelm her. Charity’s former high school classmate Buck Malone never left town, instead sacrificing his dreams to take care of his family. Now he enjoys an uncomplicated life as a wilderness guide and confirmed bachelor. The last thing on his mind is settling down. When Charity’s dog causes an accident that leaves Buck with a broken ankle and wrist at the start of prime tourist season, Charity has little choice but to render aid while he recuperates.  Soon Buck becomes the inspiration for Charity’s hero, both on the page and off. Can he also help her face and overcome her fears so they might find their own happily ever after?

"Hatcher hits the reader’s Achilles’ heel right in the gut with her plot twists, showing us God’s ability to offer grace and forgiveness ... You will be sharing this book with your friends." RT Book Reviews TOP PICK