My guest today Author Yvonne Lehman has not only written many, many fine books, she has also influenced other writers for God. Here’s some of her story:

“After my church rejected my idea of putting into action what I was teaching girls, ages 17-married, in Sunday School, my faith in pastors and Christians diminished and I considered leaving the church and questioned God. After a six-month period of doubt and distress, I chose to trust God, realized that He and I are a majority, and asked Him how I could reach out to others. That led to my attending the Billy Graham School of Christian Writing where a whole new world opened up to me. At that time the School (in MN) and Mount Herman (in CA) were the only conferences for writers. I knew there was a need for writing instruction in the southeast. For 2 ½ years I tried to get Billy Graham Evangelistic Association and others to sponsor a conference.

Defeated, I gave up and told God I heard him wrong, or had failed to adequately convey the message. Or if I was a hindrance, I was stepping aside. After giving up, I received encouragement, along with the money to incorporate such a conference. The dean of the School offered to be emcee and contact editors and faculty.

The short of a long story is that I became director (without being qualified), treasurer, secretary, etc. and held that position for 25 years for the Blue Ridge Conference. A few years ago, after turning that over to someone else, I founded and direct the Blue Ridge “Summer” and “Autumn” in the mountains Novel Retreats.

Did all that happen because I’m strong? No way! It happened because I knew my weakness, knew my lack of qualifications, but believed God shows his strength when we are weakest, when we know we’re not in control, when we want to serve instead of be served.

My idea of a strong woman is one who realizes her weaknesses, limitations, and inadequacies, but trusts God to use her according to what he has given her, where He has put her, and she finds means to improve herself mentally, physically, and spiritually. Those are qualities I put in my characters. The hero/heroine has problems, goals, or conflicts in which they know they aren’t handling well. They learn, or someone enlightens them, that they need to turn their lives, their desires, their will over to the Lord. Not always, but usually I have an older woman character who is an example to the younger ones. Matilda, in Aloha Brides, serves that guiding purpose in all three novels. She is flamboyant and eccentric, but is the one to whom the characters go for insight and instruction for they know she is a woman who trusts in the Lord and inspires in them a stronger faith and always gives them hope.

In defense of that church, they have gone on to being very mission-minded and put action to what they teach. I think God closed their minds and hearts for a while so He could lead me into a writing career that I had not previously considered.”–Yvonne

BIO: YVONNE LEHMAN is a best-selling, award-winning writer of 50 novels. She directed the Blue Ridge Conference for 25 years, now directs the Blue Ridge “Summer” and “Autumn in the Mountains” Novel Retreats. She is co-director of the Honored Authors of the Gideon Media Arts Conference and is a mentor with the Christian Writers Guild. Her latest release is Aloha Brides, a collection of three historical Hawaiian novels. She earned a Master’s Degree in English from Western North Carolina University and has taught English and Creative Writing.

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Yvonne’s story is one I can identify with. Has God ever used “Wait” in your life to bring about more than you could have thought of on your own?

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