Anyone who knows me will agree that I love words. I love speaking them AND writing them and I don’t use them sparingly in either situation! This love of words has meant I’ve always been some combination of a journal keeper/a storyteller/keen reader, but never in a million years did I think I would be given an opportunity to share my stories with the world. And being able to create stories about God, and explore how wonderful He is? Something I never could have imagined.
But here I am, putting the finishing touches on my very first story for Evergrace, with more in the pipeline. I thank God daily for the opportunity.
I started out as an Evergrace listener, just like you, and the first time I saw the app I immediately loved the concept. Some of our kids have been blessed with very active imaginations and have long struggled to settle down once bedtime hit. We’d tried lots of calm down/sleepy time type stories but never found anything we loved, and were always wary of just what was being consumed by impressionable little hearts and minds. Finding Evergrace legitimately felt like a revelation, and we immediately subscribed, and have been listening ever since.
When the Evergrace team first reached out about possibly contributing some stories, my first reaction was ‘well I can’t do that!’ Sure I loved writing, but I’d never considered myself a ‘writer’. But turns our Wonderful God loves to use the messy, not-so-experienced, rough around the edges kinda people to show just how awesome and amazing HE is, and a little seed was planted. Before long I realised that something like writing for Evergrace was EXACTLY what I wanted to do, so I decided to have a go, rolled up my proverbial sleeves, and wrote the very first draft for my upcoming story ‘The Woodworker’.
Fast-forward to today, and we’re getting ready to publish this story. And I still can’t quite believe it!
The writing process was quite the experience; we went through 7 (yes, 7!) versions of this script, trying it from a few different angles before settling on a final version, which was remarkably like the first version! It’s a completely new experience, having others edit your work, a far cry from the ramblings in my journal as a kid that no one ever saw. I was a little concerned I’d find the editing process a bit challenging, especially as I wasn’t used to having anyone critique my work. But it turns out I had nothing to worry about - I’ve actually loved the process. Sure we haven’t always agreed, but we were able to work through the different points of views until we got to a place where we all loved the final product.
Once the script was finished it was over to Bill to do his magic, and I was so so excited to hear what he came up with. It was quite a thrill to see (or hear) my idea, which started out as a few rough notes on a crumpled up piece of paper, being turned into something so professional. And that’s one thing that has struck me throughout the whole process; the team invests SO much time and energy into making these stories the absolute best they can be. Evergrace isn’t about churning out content for content’s sake; instead every detail is painstakingly combed over, every step of the way, ensuring it’s just right for our listeners. The resulting stories are entertaining, full of heart, with a high production value that we’re so very proud of. But above all, they’re stories that have been intentionally and prayerfully created, to teach your children about who God is, a responsibility that is not taken lightly by any of us.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. I’m thrilled to be here, and I can’t wait to see what the future holds. I hope you enjoy ‘The Woodworker’ and keep your eye out for future stories, there’s some great ones heading your way.
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