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Chautona Havig

Chautona Havig

Using story to connect YOU to the Master Storyteller

Devotionals Are the Pits

by Chautona Havig · 3 Comments

ThinkstockPhotos-510491779I’ve shared pictures of my personal devotional journal for some time now, but I’m sure over the past few months, some have noticed a decided absence in posts.  There’s a reason.

They became incredibly personal. Part of it is pride, I’m sure, but a lot of it is just that not everything should be put out there for the world to see.  And most of those entries fell in there.

It all started with the weeks leading up to the release of Highlands.  We did some experiments with that book, and frankly, they flopped.  I sold record numbers of the book, and didn’t even cover my expenses (because of our experiments).  Discouragement hit me hard.  That’s not normal for me, by the way. I tend to be a “roll with the punches” sort of person. 

I asked the Lord for guidance, poured out my concerns, my doubts, my hopes in that journal.  And then it happened.

Emails began trickling in.  Emails that said things like:

This is a long way of saying thank you for what you do. God has used you to bless me.

It will make you wonder. It will make you think. It will make you re-evaluate

HIGHLANDS vividly illustrates how the attitude of the heart colors the world around us.

This series really makes me contemplate if I am enjoying the life God has blessed me with to the fullest. A great friend is one that makes you strive to be a better person, and this book does that, it makes me want to better.

Yes, many of those entries are from the reviews.  That’s because most of the emails I received are so hugely personal, I could never share them.  Some wrote of trying to grapple with ideas of defects and how they affect our lives–how Tony’s journey helped them see things in different lights.  Others wrote of the pain that suicide victims leave behind and the raw emotions that smother loved ones trying to make sense of it all.

People emailed to thank me for writing the book.  Thank me!  I always feel like I should be the one thanking readers for spending their time and money on my petty little offerings, and I get letters of gratitude?

So, it took a little while to see the big picture, but I truly believe the Lord had a bigger plan for Highlands than I could have ever imagined. Thankfully, other books make up the financial difference, and it all works out in the end, but even if it didn’t.  Do I care?

Reading an email that says, “I cannot tell you how I needed the very encouragement you wove into that story just as I opened it. Reading it changed my life.  I cannot tell you how many times I’ve thanked the Lord for your writing. It brought me back to the Lord.” (used with permission), is what my writing is about.  I write to encourage the body of Christ through fiction.

The Lord is good to me.  All the time.  Even when I can’t see it… or perhaps ESPECIALLY when I can’t see it.

Yeah, devotionals are the pits… but working through them with the Lord can also draw you right back out again.  Thank you, Father!

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Filed Under: Devotional

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Comments

  1. Ryoko says

    January 3, 2016 at 9:19 pm

    Thank you for sharing. It isencouraging. I agree with your “especially”

    Reply
  2. Lois says

    January 3, 2016 at 8:14 pm

    …and this is the very thing that makes you special, Chautona. I may be wrong, but I believe if you could not help others with your writing, you would stop writing for lack of fulfillment. There is no amount of income that can make up for the joy of helping another person know the Lord or encouraging fellow-believers in their walk with Christ. That is what you do, and as long as you help others find a closer relationship with the Lord, God is going to take care of you and your family. Even when the experiments flop and the expenses aren’t covered, God has them covered because God is not limited to the possible!

    In Matthew 14, he fed 5000 men besides women and children, with just a little boy’s lunch (5 small loaves and 2 small fish), and the disciples gathered 12 baskets of leftovers. In Matthew 15 he fed 4000 men besides women and children with just 7 loaves and a few fish, and they gathered 7 baskets of leftovers from that meal.

    God’s wages for those who love and serve him go far beyond what mere money can do, and he provides for our financial needs also as we follow him. I’m praising the Lord with you Chautona! I appreciate you.

    Reply
  3. Lucinda says

    January 3, 2016 at 6:45 pm

    Didn’t I tell you there was much good about Highlands? You wrote what God laid on your heart to write, and as a result, people were blessed. He will fill the empty spaces and bless your finances as you continue to be obedient to His direction.

    Reply

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The Because Fiction Podcast

The Because Fiction Podcast
The Because Fiction Podcast

Taking the pulse of Christian fiction

Episode 448: A Chat with Nancy Naigle
byChautona Havig

 I fell in love with Nancy’s writing with The Shell Collector. Imagine my joy when I discovered she has a SEQUEL! Eeep! Listen in and discover which characters you’ll find in To Light the Way Forward and what’s coming next for one of America’s favorite authors!

note: links may be affiliate links that provide me with a small commission at no extra expense to you.

It’s been three years since Nancy and I had a chance to talk, and in that time, she’s been BUSY.  So in addition to falling in love with her character, Tug, and wanting to give him his own story, she’s written a small-town duet (and maybe we talked her into a third?) as well as a romcom duo!  Think we can talk her into a third of that series as well?  Because… SPOILER ALERT… we’re getting a third Shell Collector Series book, too! EEEP!

To Light the Way Forward by Nancy Naigle

A novel of overcoming deep loss, taking risks, and learning that life—and love—often surprises you when you least expect it, from the USA Today bestselling author of The Shell Collector. “Bringing to life characters you can’t help but fall in love with, Nancy Naigle goes straight to the heart with this story of tragedy turned to triumph. A poignant reminder to never give up hope.”—Sheila Roberts, author of The Best Life Book Club Feeling adrift after the loss of her husband, Rosemary sets out to visit an old friend on Whelk’s Island, undeterred by the threat of a hurricane. Before the storm hits, she finds herself at Tug’s Diner where she quickly connects with the owner, Tug. But the storm destroys the diner, compounding Tug’s grief from losing his love the previous year. The longer Rosemary stays, the more she sees Tug’s deep sadness and resolves to help him. Together with Tug and friends Amanda and Paul, they all pitch in to help the close-knit community recover and rebuild. As Amanda and Paul reconnect after losing touch during the storm, their plans to take things slow seem increasingly impractical. While Rosemary and Tug help the young couple navigate their relationship, they also find themselves building a friendship that begins to restore them both. But can that friendship convince them that love is possible for anyone who’s willing to take a risk—even those who never hoped they’d find it again?

Learn more about Nancy on her WEBSITEand follow her on GoodReads and BookBub.

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