Hard Topics

I’m a person who avoids conflict with the same passionate commitment as I have for not licking the door handles at the convenience store. I’m predictably afraid of all the usual things: heights, snakes, long dark alleys, and undercooked chicken. So…

Why do I write my books to include hard topics?

The only reasonable explanation is God. I would love for Him to give me a story filled with characters not covered in the sinfulness of a broken world. Characters who aren’t trying to move past trauma they didn’t ask for or find forgiveness for things they did ask for.

One day that world will be a reality for us as believers, but until then we are living in a world of consequences, and sometimes we need a reminder we aren’t alone.

We need a glimpse of eternity.

I’ve never started out to write a story about hard things. I like happy, go-lucky tales of goodness and adventure and love as much as anyone else.  But that’s not the direction God points my pen when I place my hand in His.

My stories start when a random scene pops into my head and the Holy Spirit nudges (or shoves on my more obstinate days) until I start exploring what’s really going on in that scene. Who are these people and what has led them to this exact moment? Maybe there’s a conversation going on or maybe the person is alone with their thoughts. The scenes are different, but the one thing that is always the same is that there is a story. And that story is so much more than what we see on the surface.

That’s true of real life as well. The people we encounter everyday have stories. They have a past that has brought them to where they are, and for most of them, that past is filled with mistakes, wounds, and things they won’t tell you about.

Maybe this is where I come in. Perhaps my role in God’s larger story is to share the stories no one is talking about.

I’ve often written about things I have no personal experience with. My life has been fairly tame and untouched by tragedy or trauma. I have learned to see this as a part of God’s purpose for me life, not because He loved me more and sheltered me, but so that when I tell the stories of others, they aren’t told in the shadow of my own experience. I must rely completely on God to help me see and understand whatever hard topic it is I’m writing about.

But then comes the joy.

God never leaves us stuck in the miry pit of shame, despair, and brokenness. He is with us in our suffering, and He awaits the moment when we will let Him heal us. This is His promise to us, that one day He will right every wrong and dry every tear. That His forgiveness stretches as far as the east is from the west, and that His mercy and grace will never run out.

Amid our pain and our broken hearts, we forget.

I’m called, as we all are, to shine a light into the darkness. And the greater the darkness, the more powerful the light. Even one small candle can change the world.

My pen is that candle for as long as God will use me, because when a reader says to me “You just told my story”, or “Thank you for bringing a voice to the ugliness” … I don’t mind writing the hard stuff.

If you’d like to learn more about my books or my writing life, please visit my website www.lorialtebaumer.com

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8 Comments

    The Conversation

  1. Roxanne Sgro says:

    What a blessing your words were, they were sent to me straight from the Lord. It is 6:45AM and I am getting ready to head into Philadelphia ( It is an hour away from me) I start radiation treatments for five days a week for five weeks. I know the Lord is ever present with me and will carry me through.
    He is my light and salvation. There is no surprises for him.

    • laltebaumer says:

      God is so good to send us the encouragement we need at just the right moment. That he used the timing of this post and the words he gave me to bless you at this moment is evidence of just now much he loves us. I’m so sorry you are having to walk through this fiery trial, but I am happy to know that you see God’s presence with you and his strength within you. My pray is for the radiation to destroy every problem causing cell and for God to replace them with healthy, vibrant ones. May God’s strength sustain you and his peace that passes all understanding comfort you. I pray the traffic is never bad that you might have safe travel to and from your treatment, and that you be surrounded with the loves of friends and family every day of this journey. Thank you for sharing this with me and know that you are in my prayers… and in your Father’s loving hands.

  2. Susan Sams Baggott says:

    I do have to agree NOT licking the doorknobs at convenience stores is a good idea— WHO would even think of that??? So once we see your twisted mind and your set of fears, it only makes sense we love reading your books of “hard things”. After all, the happy things don’t usually keep us entertained. You have a new grandkid? “Oh that’s nice,” say the neighbors. You get into a bloody three car accident? “Oh my, tell me all about it,” say the neighbors. LOL

    • laltebaumer says:

      I hope you can still be friends now that you’ve gotten a glimpse into the inner workings of my mind LOL! You make an interesting comparison about holding people’s attention… interesting and a bit saddening that human nature can be so inclined. Thanks for joining the conversation.

  3. George says:

    I love this you and your family are an inspiration to me

    • laltebaumer says:

      I could say the same about you, Sweet Sister! What a blessing you and your family are to me and my family! Y’all are loved.

  4. Donna Nabors says:

    Thank you for continuing to share your heart and listen to the Holy Spirit’s direction in your writing. You are a blessing and encouragement to so many in many different ways.

    • laltebaumer says:

      Thanks for your comment, Donna. You are someone who knows what it means to have the Holy Spirit leading you as you share your your heart to encourage others, so your comment means a lot to me. Blessings!