Meet the Author of Your Next Free Book: Sara Hagerty

Sara Hagerty and her family

I am delighted to share my exclusive interview of Sara Hagerty, the author of Every Bitter Thing is Sweet.  She is a fellow mom and Christ seeker who has discovered the true meaning of these words:  "The satisfied soul loathes the honeycomb, but to the hungry soul, every bitter thing is sweet" (Proverbs 27:7).  If you missed my review of her book on Monday, click here to learn more about it.  Reading her book will reignite your faith; reading this interview will give you insight her life as a Christian mom.

Sara, you have four adopted children and one son by birth.  How do you stay connected with God while raising five children?  I'd love to hear how you protect and adapt your times for prayer, scripture, and adoration in daily living.  What does that look like for you - and do you have any tips that you can pass on?

I’m slowly learning that communing with God really can happen over dishes and laundry and in between reading books on the couch and refereeing children’s squabbles. As a recovering cynic – worst-case scenario thinker – I’ve found that I desperately need His Word to inform my thoughts and my conversation with Him. I have a lot of lies about who He is and “what I’m not” bouncing around in my head on any given day. Adoration – speaking God’s Word back to God, in my own language – up the stairs, and down, and out to the mailbox, and over laundry, has been a great entry point for talking over my heart with God. These tiny prayers (as I’ve heard them called before) have been a lifeline for me during my day.

Bedtime seems sacred in your book.  It's a time for snuggles and teaching your children about faith.  I like how you describe going through the alphabet and using each letter as a way to adore God.  Can you give us an example of a poignant time that you have seen this particular practice resonating with one or all of your children?

Just the other night as we were adoring “The One Who Directs My Heart” from 2 Thessalonians 3:5, my son prayed: “Jesus, thank you that you take us where we don’t want to go. Thank you that you have us do things other people don’t want to do.” I think it spoke more to me than maybe even to him at the moment – it felt like words too big for him – but I love how God is informing His understanding already, at seven.

That being said, we have nights like this maybe one out of four. We continue to show up – with our children – regardless of the words they say or the impact it seems to be making on their hearts. Yup, even on the nights they’re elbowing each other or falling into a giggle fit. I think God enjoys it all.

Your conviction that faith is the salve - and hope - for wounds is uplifting.  What has been the most effective way that you have presented that "salve" to your adopted children?  I am curious what avenue you've opened that you've witnessed God utilizing the most (journaling, family prayer, Sunday school, etc.) in light of their painful past.

At this stage, so much of their healing is seemingly passive. Most of my children don’t yet have the bandwidth for processing the history that brought them to us. In the meantime, we pray over them and for them. And we hug and hold and try and build a bridge of trust with the way we enjoy them -- that one day it will allow us to have the deeper conversations that introduce His fuller healing to their hearts.

You can discover more about Sara's compelling story by visiting her website or joining her in adoration on Instagram.  Don't forget to register for your chance to win a free copy of her book!  The contest ENDS tomorrow at 7 pm EST.  Either scroll to the bottom of this blog page or click here to register.

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