Catching up

Continued from A Grace Refined. 

Before I plow ahead, I'm going to take this opportunity to help readers catch up.

It has been difficult and emotional to continue to write blog posts after it appears my story with Roma has come to a tragic and abrupt end. But there is more to tell, so I'll keep writing. Each time I hit publish, I ask myself, who cares about this story now? But every few days, I receive messages from new readers and support from regulars. I am thankful for the encouragement their kind words offer.

I've always said that I feel as if I've lived a Divinely Directed movie. Those showing up late at this sad part of the movie must be confused and discouraged. Why bother now, now that the main character has permanently left the stage? I claim (and this would be news to my dear boy) Roma was not the main character in our story. God is. And He isn't leaving!

In order for these posts to make sense, I would recommend reading my book, But the Greatest of These is Love, published in 2012. God was there in the beginning, coaxing me to be a part of His Story. Did I want a major role in this chronicle of surrender? No. But God wouldn't take no for an answer. The characters were cast.

(I have reduced the price of the download to $1.99 to encourage people to join us. I noticed that there are a couple of paperback copies for $4.99 available for Amazon Prime free shipping. That's cheaper than I can buy my own books.)

Then catch up with the activities after the publication of the book with the exciting Hound of Heaven Winks series in mid 2014. What a season of overlapping God Appearances, with Him pulling more characters into our story, people I will love into eternity, people  whose own lives have changed as much as mine while witnessing the Power of God so vividly in Roma's scenes.

As 2014 came to a dramatic end, another series of blog post took off with unbelievably intricate webs of divine connections. I'm so thankful that I had been instructed in a dream six months earlier, prior to the Hound of Heaven Winks post, to "write all this down," or I might have been so caught up in the excitement, I might have forgotten to record it. Read the eleven part series that begins with the Hope of Restoration. It's almost a mini book by itself, a tragedy of Russian proportions. For twenty years, a family in the Caucasus Mountain region, between Russia and the Republic of Georgia, suffered turmoil which resulted in the devastating separation of a young family member. It was a Sacred moment to connect in cyberspace.

Robert Frost once observed, "No tears in the writer, no tears in the reader." If that is true, there will be many tears in the reader, for I sobbed while learning and writing about this foreign family whom I now love and respect completely, and sincerely desire to meet in person one day.

After part eleven in the Family Connections series, readers can advance to the next post by clicking "Newer post" at the lower left of each page. Some are connected with links at the bottom.

I am reminded of an early blog series of three short posts, beginning with If You Write it, they will Read. I'm almost embarrassed at my earliest attempts of blog writing, but God was powerfully evident even then, so I share with humility and in awe that I had God stories to share all along this journey.

The agent I write about in part one is one I would like to contact again with another proposal, in case there is another book in the future.  As she said five years ago, if I had followers for my blog and I was enlarging my readership, and increasing my platform, whatever a platform is,  then she might be willing to represent me.

I have spent years trying to determine what my "platform" is. It appears that it has evolved into "To know God, and to make Him known." What a challenge and a joy to attempt that awesome feat. 

Hopefully new readers will find their way to Roma's scenes of God's unfolding story. Please tell your friends to follow along.  I would appreciate if you joined the blog on Google +, if possible. And engage with comments. Like the book's Facebook page. Write a review on Amazon. All this activity over But The Greatest of These is Love will indicate to a prospective agent this story has a future and a hope of transforming into a sequel.

Again, I am so thankful for the support and encouragement that has surrounded my family in our gut-wrenching loss over dear, sweet, strong-willed Roma. I am empowered by the continued interest in the ongoing story. The encouragement keeps trickling in.

Just last week, a woman introduced herself to me at a church where I attend Bible study. She told me she had read my book, just finishing the night before. She came to Bible study talking about the book and her new friend Roma. One of the ladies knew me and told her the heartbreaking news an hour before a mutual friend pointed her in my direction. She was downcast when she approached me. "Are you Debbie?"  She had fallen in love with Roma. She lived in the same neighborhood where he had attended elementary school.  She thought as she read that she would have liked to have known of the little Russian boy when he arrived, to help tutor him in English and learn Russian from him.  He was so handsome and sweet, she imagined  he would be a good catch for some deserving woman one day. Now she was heartsick. We hugged and parted, both in tears, as she said, "I'm going home now to have a good cry."  Yeah, me too.

Stay tuned. There is so much more to this story. 

Continue with Succumbing to Hope