Glenna Marshall - The Promise is His Presence: Why God is Always Enough

I like to think of writing as a solitary activity. And mostly thats true. Ive neverbirthed a babya fact youll see soon enough, in the following pagesbut I imaginethat the anticipation Ive felt while laboring to write the words of this book hasbeen a tiny bit like waiting for a child to arrive. While birth is largely a solitaryeffort, there are usually a lot of helpful people involved who make the experienceas smooth as possible. Id like to thank the people in my life who helped me birththis book.

Thank you to Amanda Martin and Kristi James of P&R Publishing for helping mesay what I want to say in the best way possible. Im so grateful for your work aseditors. Amanda, your patience and careful edits have helped me to become a betterwriter. Kristi, you helped me to step back and see the bigger picture when I feltoverwhelmed by the task before me. Thank you to my writer friend, Marissa Henley,for believing that these words should be read and for putting action and hard workbehind that belief. Your generosity and cheerleading have been sweet encouragementsto me. Thank you for answering a thousand frantic Voxer messages.

To the people of Trinity Baptist Church: in your presence the Lord has broken myheart and healed it. You are the means by which He has healed me. Thank you for standingby us all those broken years and for standing by us still. You are one of Gods sweetestgifts to me, and I love you deeply.

Deepest thanks to Beth, Ranelle, Sue, and Dora for holding me accountable and makingsure I am looking at life through the lens of the gospel. Thank you for praying methrough this book. To my Thursday afternoon Bible study ladies: you are regularlya breath of fresh air. You always asked about the book, prayed for me as I wroteit, and challenged me to search the Scriptures deeply. But mostly you let me sitwith a cup of coffee and a notebook as a fellow participantand nothing more. Notwriter or pastors wife or teacher. Just me. How I needed those hours with you.

Thank you to Larry, Theda, and Colby Williams of Parengo Coffee in Sikeston, Missouri.You supplied me with endless cups of coffee, a regularly open table, and consistentencouragement to meet my word-count goals when I wrote in your shop. Andrew Peterson,your music got me through all of the Old Testament material and prodded me to lookdeeper into its stories for the real people beneath the words.

Mom and Dad, thank you for buying me that first journal when I was seven. I rememberthe empty pages that were begging to be filled with words. Thirty years later, Imstill pouring out all that the Lord teaches me onto every blank page I can find.Thank you for sharing in my joy and for teaching me about Jesus in the very firstplace. To my sister, Lauren: your pep talks about doing the thing that I love nomatter what urged me to open that very first blank document on my laptop. It hasbeen a treasure to speak freely about using our gifts for the Lord.

Isaiah and Ian, you are two of Gods sweetest expressions of grace to me. When lifeseemed too broken for hope, the Lord gave you to me and made this barren woman ajoyous mother. I will never have enough good words for what you mean to me.

William, you know every page firsthand. Im sorry for all the ledge-counseling youhad to do, but I knew this would be a team effort. You make everything I do better.Thank you for giving me your days off so I could write. Thank you for talking methrough the very first seeds of this book and for helping me to believe that it neededto be written down. I would nevercould neverhave done this without your encouragement.When I am afraid, you gently push me to be the woman God has made me to be.

Jesus, You are everything. I have doubted more than I believed, but You have beenwith me everywhere I have gone. Thank You for breaking down my life with pain andsorrow so that You could bind me up with Your goodness. I would never have knownhow much I needed You.