As an introvert, taking risks isn’t something I do. Or, at least, it wasn’t. But as I grow closer to Christ and seek to follow His guidance and prompting, I often have to step beyond my comfort zone into a somewhat uncomfortable and unfamiliar situation. It can be scary, strange, and a whirlwind of emotions. But when it’s a place where God is leading me, He always equips me for the situation (2 Peter 1:3). After all, the things we’re called to aren’t reliant on our capabilities but dependent on a God with no limits.
Even though faith often requires us to be uncomfortable, we can be comforted in Jesus, knowing He is with us every step of the way.
A recent “risk” I took happened almost a year ago. It wasn’t necessarily a risk, as it was a leap of faith. Would the two be considered the same? I’m not quite sure. All I know is, risk implies recklessness, while faith means trust in a Greater Power.
Since I was fourteen, I’ve loved to create stories, particularly fiction and fantasy. It was never my plan to focus on nonfiction or some other genre, but I always dreamed of being a published author and selling my books in bookstores. Then came 2023, and I found myself in a familiar pit of anxiety and inner turmoil, a battle I thought I was over with back in 2020. It was brutal, lonely, dark, and foggy. But during my darkest days and nights, poetry would flood my mind. Now, mind you, I am NOT a poet. In fact, to this day, I still don’t quite understand how poetry works. Of course, there are more liberties than a normal fiction book, but one can’t ignore the standard rules we learn in school. In 2019, I wrote some poems for fun or to voice certain things I was struggling with. But they were never supposed to be public!
So why were all these poems surfacing during a time when I never thought I’d see the light again? And why were poems I had written years ago suddenly coming to mind, grouping to form an entire book of poetry? I’m sorry, me writing a poetry book? You’re kidding, right?
Nope.
The thing is, I didn’t mention this all started after I finally surrendered my writing to God. Sure, I would say I’d write for Him, but the moment I actually let go and gave in to God’s guidance, something changed–inside me and around me. God can do far greater things than me, that’s for sure.
Writing became new, something more potent than it ever was. It became hope as God flooded me with His Word through these new poems I’d cling to when I felt I was falling. Even while writing them, I never planned to share them with anyone. I kind of dreaded it. They were raw, vulnerable, and real, and they showed just how much I struggled and how broken I was.
Why would I want anyone reading that?
And yet, as I wrote and watched God pour into these poems, they soon became reminders of His faithfulness and evidence of His love and goodness. A light so bright, I couldn’t bear putting a basket over it (Matt. 5:15). No, God showed me, as difficult and uncomfortable as it was, that these poems were being called to be shared. Not for me, but for Him. People needed to see just how powerful my God was and how He completely transformed me. Then came the idea for a poetry book, which turned into “He Is Faithful In Every Season.”
My “risk” I do not regret:
“He Is Faithful In Every Season” is a book of fifty poems, all written from 2019-2023. It took an entire year to edit, compile, and publish. It was complex, challenging, and beautiful. I had no prior experience with publication or self-publishing, though I did much research, but everything I was doing was for the first time (and required many trips to Google). The more I wrote this book, the more I prayed over it and invited God into it–the more I surrendered, the more I saw how God was in the very fibers of my life. By the grace of God, I published my first book in August 2024 at 21. It was a moment so surreal that I still forget it some days.
In just a few months, it’ll be exactly one year since I released those poems to the world–pieces of light and declarations of faith, hope, and love for God. Since August, over 300 copies have sold, which means over 300 people are reading the Gospel. I’ve heard and read countless reviews on how God has used this book to encourage, inspire, and give hope to readers. I’ve heard how it’s reaching non-believers and even those who don’t particularly like to read.
People have gifted this book to friends, family, and loved ones who are struggling. They tell me they can relate. I can only praise God because He showed me my “why” for writing. Not money, not fame, but for Him. Always.
“He Is Faithful In Every Season” has also been placed in four bookstores worldwide–Florida, Oregon, Washington, and Texas. BOOKSTORES. No, because this is actually wild, especially as a self-published author. But God opened those doors, and the more I look back and see all the details He pulled together to get me to where I am today, my jaw drops.
I am underserving and God is forgiving, merciful, and wonderful.
I may not have been able to see the whole picture when I worried about sharing those poems with the world, but God heard my prayers and knew exactly where He was leading me. Every day, I see evidence of His mercy and grace, not just through my poetry book but also through friends, family, and those special moments of peace and love I used to overlook but will now cherish forever. I may not be a big risk taker, but I pray I continue to step out in faith, trusting God will guide me where He’s leading me. It may not always be what we expect, but whatever God has planned is far greater!
I hope this serves as a reminder to trust God even in the uncertainty (Prov. 3:5-6). To seek His guidance in all things (Matt. 6:33). And to step out in faith into what He is calling us to, knowing He will work out all things for the good of those who love and trust Him (Rom. 8:28).
Julia Rose Books 