Day Eight: It All Comes Together

Before you go any further, if you've not read the previous 7 days, STOP!  Go catch up then come back.  It won't be as good unless you get the set up. Okay.  The Monday morning after the Orange Conference, Jonathan and I were having some hot tea on our patio, enjoying a wonderfully busy little hummingbird as it danced around a bottle brush tree that stood just beyond our wall, shedding its annoying red needles into our patio.

I heard my phone ring, went to check it out and saw an unfamiliar number, so I let it go to voicemail.  I'm not fond of phone talking so I rarely keep my phone with me.  If by some miracle I have it on me, I don't answer if I don't know who's calling.

They left a message, I gave it a minute to finish watching the hummingbird, then I called to check my voicemail.

As I listened to the message, my jaw just dropped longer and longer into a genuinely awe-struck face.  I'm pretty sure I cried as well, but I was pregnant so that doesn't mean much.

I paced the floor back and forth as I recounted the short message to Jonathan.

"It was this man from David C. Cook publishing.  He said I met him at the Orange Conference.  He has my manuscript in front of him and wants to talk about it with me!"

I tried to compose myself for a call back.  When I finally managed to get it together, I called and had my first conversation with someone from a publishing company.

His name is Don.  Yep.  That Don.  The one Jonathan met at Passion.

While we chatted he told me the crazy path he took to get to this conversation.  You obviously know some of my crazy path.  The way they intertwine is ridiculously providential!

Don came to the Orange Conference with Francis Chan, who had a new book out at the time called Crazy Love. David C. Cook is Francis' publisher, and Don was there to help promote the book and experience the conference as well.  He flew into Atlanta early before the conference started and had a Sunday to attend a church of his choice.  He chose North Point Community Church.

It happened to be the Sunday I was leading worship, since I was in town early, too.

He said he hadn't heard me sing before and was moved by my worship leading.  After service he proceeded directly to the resource center and actually picked up every cd with my name on it.

One of those cds is called Journal Entry. For those of you who don't know, this was a cd that Jonathan and I recorded along with some of our good friends.  All the songs are based on or inspired by Rick's journals.  We wrote songs to some of his prayers, his thoughts, even just one line ideas for a song.  We took his writing and made it into music.  All the money, of course, went to the Rick Pearson Memorial Fund (we'll discuss this in another post).

Don said he sat in his hotel room at the foot of the bed and listened to that entire cd, beginning to end, without moving.  He said to himself, "There has to be a story behind this. I want to know what it is."

Then the conference started, Francis spoke at some point, I chatted with him afterward, and Don was with him, smiling and waiting to shake my hand and tell me he was moved by my worship.  That was the extent of our interaction.

Meanwhile, after he and Francis walked away, Francis said to Don, "She and her family have an amazing story." Don perked up to listen, but just as Francis was starting he was interrupted by some very adoring fans who wanted autographs, pictures, and conversations.  My story was forgotten for that moment.

At the end of the conference Don flew back to his home in Colorado, and I to mine in California.  He didn't really put much thought into my story again.  But he had cds and was happy to listen to a new singer.

Then he walked into work on Monday morning.  When he arrived at his desk, there was a manuscript staring him in the face.  Nothing new for a publisher, of course... but what made him stop dead in his tracks was the name on the front:  Candi Pearson Shelton.

He stared at it for a moment and realized that it was, in fact, the same girl.  This was, in fact, the story about which he'd been wondering.

Turns out a hardcopy isn't as tough to make its rounds, once someone manually prints copies of it and hands them out, which is what was done in this case.

Turns out Pam made good on her word.  Oh, did I forget to tell you?  She sits on the board of David C. Cook Publishing.  Yep.  The one Don works with.  Don, the one my husband met at Passion.  The one I met at Orange.  The one who got to work and found the answer to his query staring him in the face.

Whoever Pam gave the manuscript to had read it, and they felt it was worth a closer review.  So copies were made and a meeting was scheduled to decide whether or not they wanted to publish this book.

I was completely stunned.  You can't just make things happen this way.  This was orchestrated.  This was providential!  God was making it unmistakably about Him!

You obviously know that they did decide to publish the book.  Oh, we're far from the journey being done.  Just done with the part where we try to find a publishing home.

"There are no words, God.  I'm humbled and in awe even now as I read what happened.  It doesn't seem real.  It certainly proclaims very loudly and clearly that I am not at the wheel, and I don't determine outcomes and time lines.  I just need to be faithful in surrender.  What beauty you cause to unfold when we lay down our desires and surrender them to Your greatest good.  Continue to use my brother and his story to point heavenward in thanks and praise of your unfailing providence and intense care for us, Your prized creation. I'm humbled.  Amen."

- C