A Labour of Love by Bob Jones

The July writing prompt was to share about the first book I wrote and published.

My experience is summed up in four words – A Labour Of Love.

A Lifetime 

Rare is the gift of undeserved presence. As a pastor of thousands of people, there are those who entered my life for a moment, and some for a season, all for a reason, but few for a lifetime. Kristen Miller Fersovitch was for a lifetime.

Thirty-six years ago, our family arrived in Edmonton in August fresh from Montreal, the newest additions to a pastoral staff in a historic church. A portion of my role was to provide Christian education opportunities, especially for children. One of those children was eight years old, a peer to our eldest son, and part of our Sunday School. We had no idea then the incredible influence she would become.

Kristen was born into a musical family with parents who travelled North America, so it was quite natural for her to take centre stage in kids choir presentations, church worship teams, and as a featured soloist in musical performances. She was precocious, strong-willed, a competitive athlete, believer, and fiercely loyal to her younger sister and friends. She was a bit of a handful during her teenage and young adult years, but settled quickly after marrying the love of her life, a fireman and giving birth to three wonderful sons.

Cancer 

You can only imagine the devastation of a diagnosis of cancer, all that this horrible affliction brings, and then a second diagnosis of terminal cancer at the age of 28. She had just delivered their third son, and her eldest son was only five. Prayer, fasting, medical intervention, juicing, trips south of the border for special treatment, and more prayer from around the world, could not keep death at bay from her bedside.

She won the hearts of Edmontonians with her tenacious battle during radiation treatments, losing her hair but never her smile, singing at Christmas on the largest stage in the city in front of thousands with a scarf covering the effects of the radiation. She was candid and bold in publicly sharing her faith, along with producing a CD of songs she wrote about God in her journey. Her voice is still one of my favourites and I can't hear it without tearing up. And I was only her pastor, invited into private, precious moments of family time during her courageous struggle. I never felt I did enough.

When she passed away on Thanksgiving weekend, 2013, her celebration of life was held in the largest church in the city, covered by major news networks, and eulogized by the most popular news anchor in Edmonton, one of many who had become her friend.

During the years of her cancer journey, the most asked questions were, “How does Kristen do it? How does she stay so joyful, optimistic, and hopeful amid such a painful struggle?”

In 2015, the first book I published was in answer to those questions. 

Ornament 

The book was a specially crafted, gift-sized, hard cover, with interior artistry provided by a friend of the family, featuring colour pictures of her life, family, and ministry. The title, Ornament, was the inspiration of another of her friends, because like an Christmas tree ornament, Kristen was “on display for all to see”. Her family gave me permission to include her writing, and her husband wrote the final chapter. Each chapter concludes with a reflection and simple direction about developing a personal faith in Jesus just like Kristen’s.

Kristen was real, far from perfect, but a testament to trusting God even with the struggles of leaving her young family. Carrie Doll of CTV summed up the feelings of so many in her tribute in the book: “She was beautiful and real and funny. She challenged us to live the best life we can—in the face of tragedy, in the face of despair. Not by telling us to, but by leading by example.”

Ornament caught on and became a Canadian bestseller and was awarded the most inspiring story of 2015 by the Word Guild. Readers loved her story and sent messages of the moving and transformative effect of the book.

All the proceeds from the sale of Ornament: The Faith, Hope and Joy of Kristen Fersovitch, went towards building a trust fund for the post-secondary education of her sons.

Kristen often said during the toughest times, “Even if He doesn’t heal me and I die, I will trust Him.” 

She would want you to know that and to live by that faith, hope, and joy.

Thank you for reading. I would love to connect in the comment section. God bless. 

On the Making of Books by Lorrie Orr

 

Welcome to July's new prompt: Tell us about your first book. Was it a childhood project like Madeleine L’Engle’s? Was it a book you published, and if so, what success did it bring you? On the other hand, maybe your first book is in folders in your computer. Or sitting in a closet under a pile of other items. Or in a landfill. Perhaps your first book is still a dream. Or maybe you haven’t dared to dream—yet.

Whatever your story, tell us about it. (Prompt taken from July 2018 InScribe blog)

My first book is a co-writing project, still unfinished. It will never be published in full, and is read unconsciously by those I interact with as I move through my days. This book is my heart and my life, literally, for as Solomon urged his son to write his father's teachings on the "tablet of your heart," so I am collecting wisdom and words from my heavenly father. I gather them when I read and listen and observe, and store them deep within my mind and soul. Some of this wisdom emerges in other forms of writing more visible to the human eye, but everything I produce springs from the experiences of the life God has given me. He is my co-author, encouraging and inspiring me with his faithful presence in my life.

I have written many other books, physical ones, including a small book of children's Christmas crafts, photocopied and stapled for a women's event many years ago, a children's story illustrated by my 3- or 4-year-old daughter, numerous journals, and several commonplace books. On my computer sit 50,000 words of an unfinished mystery novel, a small collection of poems, a Christmas devotional book, and numerous story starts. I can't not write.

For many years, including lack of knowledge and confidence, I didn't move forward with publishing my writing beyond a few articles and short stories. Any queries to publishers were ignored or rejected, not an uncommon experience for many authors. I began to wonder why I should even bother. I didn't have a blockbuster novel or an important name or a large social media following that would impress any publisher.

In a casual e-mail exchange with Brenda Leyland, our lovely blog co-moderator, she mentioned Siretona Creative, a publishing company founded by another InScribe member, Colleen McCubbin. Well. I was introduced to the ins and outs of various ways to publish a book. Colleen shared her great knowledge of the industry and also gave me the confidence to move forward. To make a long story short, my first fully published book was released just over a month ago.

Life is Short but Wide was built on the many letters I wrote to my husband's parents during our 21 years in Ecuador - wonderful source documents! Mum had saved each one and stored them in boxes for me. It was my eldest daughter who said, "Mom, you should write a book with these" that gave me the impetus to begin writing a memoir about those formative and eventful years. I am so glad that I persevered and now have my words able to reach many people. I hope readers are encouraged as they read the stories of someone who experienced different events in a unique setting, but who felt the same emotions, learned much about God's love and faithfulness, and who found beauty in the life given to her.

Now I feel like a floodgate of possibility has opened with the publication of this book. Ideas swirl continually in my brain. What to write next? I nod in agreement when I read Solomon's words "Of making many books there is no end."

Lorrie Orr writes from Vancouver Island.

Her first book, Life is Short but Wide, a memoir of 21 years

in Ecuador, was recently published.

More of her writing can be found at

Substack

her slice of life blog