My new novel, Revelations, continues the story of members of Riverside Christian Fellowship and focuses on Bill Clark and his daughter, Emily Clark Butler. Edna Clark, the family matriarch, is Emily’s last living grandparent. As her health fails, Bill and Emily uncover Edna’s darkest secrets. The latest book in the Restored Heart Series follows the family through an unsettling time and glimpses into their earnest efforts to convince Edna to open her heart to God before her time on Earth draws to an end.
As Edna’s health is failing, she adamantly refuses to have anything to do with God despite the pleas and prayers of her family. When she is hospitalized and lapsing in and out of consciousness, they take turns sitting at her bedside while reading scriptures and praying out loud to her.
Forty years ago, my family went through a similar situation. My grandmother experienced a medical emergency. As they waited for the ambulance, my parents pleaded with my grandmother to accept Jesus as her Savior. She stubbornly refused. She survived surgery but then lapsed into a coma. My parents and sister read the Bible to her and prayed aloud for her to accept Jesus Christ as her Savior. She passed away without regaining consciousness, and we were left to wonder if she heard their prayers and received Jesus’s gift of salvation while in the coma.
Several years later, my sons attended a youth conference at which a speaker shared that he had come to salvation while in a coma. He said that he heard the prayers of his family, and he accepted Christ while comatose. This testimony gave me great hope that my grandmother may have given her heart to Christ similarly.
My inspiration for this book, Revelations, originated from the speaker’s testimony at the youth conference. I wanted to encourage my readers with the hope that it is never too late to accept forgiveness of sins from Christ’s sacrifice on the cross.
Many of you have prayed for loved ones to come to Christ for decades. Keep praying and believing. Hold onto hope while taking advantage of every opportunity to speak to your loved ones as the Holy Spirit leads. Pray that God will open their hearts and reveal Jesus Christ to them. Stand on God’s promise in Isaiah 55:11, “My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.”
The birth of Jesus Christ, His sinless life, His sacrificial death on the cross, and His victorious resurrection are the true reasons for Christmas. They are the basis for our hope of forgiveness of our sins and a future in Heaven with God. It is the greatest gift imaginable. For those who know the joy of salvation, it is hard to understand why many people reject this gift.
As we look forward to Christmas in a few weeks, we focus on finding the perfect gifts for those closest to us. Yet, the best gift is always available to us and is free. During this season, pray that God provides you with opportunities to share His love with others and that He will reveal Jesus Christ to many.
“Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.” 1 John 1:2
May your Christmas season be blessed with the knowledge that the greatest gift the world has ever known is yours for free if you will only accept it.
Revelations and the other books in the Restored Hearts series, Restorations and Reconciliations, are available for purchase on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Susan-Elizabeth-Ball/author/B0047P60V2?ref=ap_rdr&store_ref=ap_rdr&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=true
Susan's Reflections 