By Karen Ferguson
It was February 2020 just before Covid hit and the world changed. My world was about to change too, as I took a big, brave, bold step of faith, with my husband’s support, to give my notice at my current job. My aspiration was to have a children’s book series published and move into my writing dream full time.
I would like to say I jumped right in to write the books and query for agents and publishers, but that would be a lie. Instead, it was a slow process as I welcomed distractions, partly because I have a nasty habit of avoiding self-imposed deadlines if there are no guaranteed outcomes. In hindsight, I have found the publishing process anything but ‘guaranteed.’ But God is patient and in summer of 2022 the first book in my seven-part biblically-based series was published through Ambassador International, with book number three now entering the illustration phase.
Honestly, I felt like the series itself was a brave step, because let’s face it – anything biblically based isn’t necessarily the most popular in our culture.
For a long time, my heart’s desire was to create something counter-cultural. A series that would engage young minds and nurture their faith through dynamic characters and relatable storylines. My motivation was to inspire kids to read and to explore biblical truths, with a series they could grow with spiritually and in their reading skills.
So, I took that bold step of obedience to what I felt God calling me to, rather than letting perceived outcomes dissuade me. Now, I’m thrilled to use the power of Lucy’s story set within different periods of Bible history to point this next generation to God’s truth and His never-ending love.
Here she is, the main character, Lucy Lu. She has a lot of questions. But don’t all kids?
I have found this is how it works in our daily lives, too. God often calls us to take steps of faith and do things that don’t make sense in the natural world and may not bear fruit for a season or two. Maybe longer. God’s timeline is different from ours. We know God works in seasons, and sometimes we must do the hard work of planting and then wait and wait some more. Until we see the harvest.
The Bible says in Galatians 6:9 “Let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up.”
I am reminded of a quote someone shared from author Madeleine L’Engle, who said, “Those of us who write are responsible for the effect of our books…like it or not, we either add to the darkness…or we light a candle to see by.”
If you’re a writer, for children or adults, you have opportunity to do something good. In a reading world saturated with dark themes of violence, gore, sensuality, and occultic practices, you can illuminate truth and goodness. For even in the darkest night a tiny spark can illuminate the atmosphere. We can still tackle tough subjects but from a lens of redemption; and oh, how our culture needs more of this redemption message. Our culture needs more light. Writer, remember – your work matters! Keep planting, the harvest will come.
About the Author
Karen Ferguson is a freelance writer and the author of the Questions for Kids picture book series. A lover of words, family, animals, and Jesus, Karen is a passionate advocate for truth that transforms lives. Her mission is to write stories that grab and hold young readers’ attention, teaching them all about God’s unchangeable truths and His unchanging love for them. Karen is married to her best friend. They have two grown daughters, a growing tribe of dearly loved grandchildren, and one crazy golden retriever furbaby. Her favorite part of the week is eating dark chocolate and spending time with her family exploring new places. You can follow her on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram and sign up for her free newsletter to be the first to know about special events, book updates, freebies and giveaways.
