Be My Guest: Kristy Cambron ***Giveaway***

by Andrea Renee Cox

Friends, it is my dear pleasure to host Kristy Cambron today. She and I have only recently become acquainted online (see her Facebook and blog links after the article), but we have already learned much about each other's hearts. I'm glad she's sharing a part of hers with us. As you will see, she has such an inner beauty that could only come from God. May her heart -- and God's -- bless you in your journey.

Kristy sent her article to me in italic print, and as I was reading it, I realized that it should remain that way. It lends itself well to the topic of "whisper moments." In fact, I found myself whispering the words instead of reading them aloud at a normal tone, as I do with all my guests' articles.

Whisper Moments with God

by Kristy Cambron

It was the second time in little more than a year that I’d walked into an ICU room to pray with someone who was nearing death.

Courtesy of Kristy Cambron via Dollar Photo Club

The first time? That was with my Dad. We lost him to leukemia thirteen days after he’d been admitted for a relapse of cancer. But this time was… different. It was a life experience curve ball that was completely unexpected. This trip to a quiet ICU room was for a friend whom I’d only met a few weeks before. She and I sat at the same Bible study table on Tuesday mornings. We shared struggles. Prayers. Moments of studying the Word of which I will never forget. And she was supposed to be at the next Bible study this fall. Instead, she was going to meet our Jesus for real.  

My six-year-old son calls those the “whisper moments” of life. Upon attending a quiet memorial service once, my outgoing, boisterous boy asked, “Mommy– shouldn’t I whisper?” He seemed to inherently know that we hush ourselves in the serious moments of life.

I felt a “whisper moment” come over me in the ICU room that night. There was a sweet spirit there as I held my friend’s hand. I listened to the hum of the machines. Could hear the tick-tock of the clock on the wall. Found myself surprised by the sound of my mumbled prayers breaking the silence. I wanted us to share Jesus like we had during Bible study, and found that I was overwhelmed by the presence of God. And in that precious silence, the thought struck me that I’ve known Jesus more clearly, more assuredly, and far more passionately in the whisper moments of life than I’d found in the everyday walking with Him.

We storytellers are on the lookout for story everywhere. Facts become fodder in a writer’s brain. Sights become scenes. And new experiences?  Look out! They’re probably going to end up in a book one day. But when I’m looking for true heart-deep emotions to put into the stories I write, it’s the whisper moments that always get me. They draw me in, pulling me away from the flash and frenzy of this fast-paced world we live in. And I’m reminded how real Jesus is in the valleys. How faithful He remains. And surprisingly – how involved He wants to be in our every moment– not just the tough ones.

It’s normal to turn to Him when the big stuff happens. I don’t know of a single person walking into an ICU room who wouldn’t feel how big and important and hushed that moment is. But what I want to constantly remind myself is that it shouldn’t take a whisper moment to draw me near to Him. I want to tell the best story I can – by living out the life He’s given me – and make every minute count. Each day is an opportunity to draw near to Him. Whether it’s in friendship, a hospital visit, stumbling through tears and prayers, or just in the quiet time I spend in the morning with my Bible and a cup of coffee…

Whisper moments can be beautiful. Sometimes painful. Always meaningful. And we’ll remember them, because we are so near to the heart of God when they occur. That’s the inspiration for me today… The story we’re writing with Him can be a lifetime of whisper moments, if we’ll just invite Him in.

With Joy,

Kristy is offering a signed copy of The Butterfly and the Violin to one reader who comments with an answer to the question on today’s post:

When have you found God near – in the whisper moments, in the everyday, or both?

The contest is open through Thursday, July 23, and the winner will be chosen on the following day. This person will be contacted via email address, so please include your email address in your comment. This contest is only open to U.S. residents, due to shipping costs. The winner will be announced on next week's article.

Kristy Cambron
Courtesy of Whitney Neal Photography

Kristy Cambron fancies life as a vintage-inspired storyteller. Her debut novel, THE BUTTERFLY AND THE VIOLIN, was named to Library Journal Reviews' Best Books of 2014 and was nominated for RT Reviewers' Choice Awards Best Inspirational Novel of 2014. She’s an Art/Design Manager and co-founder of TheGROVEstory.com storytelling ministry. She holds a degree in Art History from Indiana University, and has nearly 15 years of experience in communications for a Fortune-100 Company. She lives in Indiana with her husband and three football-loving sons, where she can probably be bribed with a coconut mocha latte and a good Christian fiction read.

You can connect with Kristy at:

Facebook: Kristy Cambron | Twitter: @KCambronAuthor  | Instagram: kristycambron 

Pinterest: KCambronAuthor | Web:  KristyCambron.com | TheGROVEstory.com  

Kristy's latest novel:

A Sparrow in Terezin

Bound together across time, two women will discover a powerful connection through one survivor’s story of hope in the darkest days of a war-torn world.

Present Day—With the grand opening of her new art gallery and a fairytale wedding just around the corner, Sera James feels she’s stumbled into a charmed life—until a brutal legal battle against fiancé William Hanover threatens to destroy the perfect future she’s planned before it even begins. Now, after an eleventh-hour wedding ceremony and a callous arrest, William faces a decade in prison for a crime he never committed, and Sera must battle the scathing accusations that threaten her family and any hope for a future.

1942—Kája Makovsky narrowly escaped occupied Prague in 1939, and was forced to leave her half-Jewish family behind. Now a reporter for the Daily Telegraph in England, Kája discovers the terror has followed her across the Channel in the shadowy form of the London Blitz. When she learns Jews are being exterminated by the thousands on the continent, Kája has no choice but to return to her mother city, risking her life to smuggle her family to freedom and peace.

Connecting across a century through one little girl, a Holocaust survivor with a foot in each world, these two women will discover a kinship that springs even in the darkest of times. In this tale of hope and survival, Sera and Kája must cling to the faith that sustains and fight to protect all they hold dear—even if it means placing their own futures on the line.

Readers, doesn't Kristy's son seem wise beyond his years? I'll have to keep my eye out for those whisper moments in my life... and see the ways in which God wants to be active in my life. I look forward to rising to the challenge. Thank you, Kristy, for hanging out with us at Writing to Inspire, and for sharing your heart. Thank you, also, for such amazing stories as Butterfly and Sparrow.

Thanks for stopping by today! I look forward to hearing your thoughts in the comment section below. And don’t forget to drop by next Monday for my latest article.

Would you like to be my guest? Here's how to submit an article.

Do you need a copy editor or proofreader? Here are the services I offer.