Jukebox Time recently got a chance to interview Meggi Stewart in regard to her book ‘I Am Not The Story, Just Part of the Story.’ We got insights into her book, her source of inspiration and much more.

Q. Welcome! Your book radiates a deep faith and a strong belief in the power of God’s word. Can you share a pivotal moment or experience that deepened your faith and inspired you to write this book?

Ans. There were several pivoting moments and experiences that deepened my faith and strengthened my belief in the power of God’s word. However, I can’t say those were the inspiration for writing this book. They provided the beautiful stories to enhance the book but writing this book was in obedience to God’s directive. At the age of twenty-two, I encountered gunmen forcefully entering our home with M16 rifles. I opened the door for my family to enter our home and realized there were seven uninvited guests who pushed their way in and harassed us for more than half of an hour.

I was worried that they would kill my family and at the time I knew they were not ready to meet Christ. So, I prayed, and I asked God to take me and save my family so they will get the chance they need to make peace with Him. My prayer was heard but not answered the way I thought it would. Three of the gunmen planned to gang rape me. They took me from the family and led me to the bathroom and they thought they would have their way. But I had already prayed and was ready to die if necessary.

I felt God’s presence, His strength and His peace and the script of the enemy was flipped, and they took on fear while the power of God filled me with boldness. They left in fear, and I stood in the strength of Almighty God. I didn’t have any plans to write a book. But I heard His voice reminding me that “He had told me to write a book”.

Q. Writing about personal experiences, especially those tied to faith, can be both rewarding and challenging. Could you walk us through your writing process? How do you balance sharing personal stories while aiming to inspire a broad audience?

Ans. I am an avid believer in the power of personal experiences. I believe that if the motive is to be a blessing and encourage others, then it’s your right to release and trust God for the result. It is true that some people will find your experiences challenging. But that’s the beauty of your experiences. There are always two sides to every experience, but you have no control over other people’s responses. We are all unique and it shouldn’t hinder us from fulfilling the purpose God created us to fulfill. The trajectory of our lives takes us through different challenges and levels of reward as we grow in trusting Christ Jesus. We will experience challenges and can learn something new from each of them.

Q. Who are your favorite authors and why?

Ans. My favorite authors are contained in the sixty-six books of the Bible. Now don’t get me wrong, there are a wealth of great material written by several wonderful authors and I wish I had time to just sit and read. But we are living in troubled times. Suicide and depression are rocking the lives of so many of God’s children. I must say the Bible is the antidote. It is living, breathing, and has the power to positively change lives (Hebrews 4:12).

My next favorite author is Grace Livingston Hill. As a teenager, I was blessed to have found one of her books in a garbage can. She was a single mom with two daughters. The first publisher she met told her that her book was too religious and refused to publish it. She had tenacity and would not be swayed or change her stance. Her book was published and was very successful. One of my favorites is Lo Michael.

Q. Based on your experience, what advice would you give to aspiring writers hoping to write and share their own stories of faith and resilience?

Ans. Just do it. As the Nike Slogan says. Don’t write to be rich or to destroy reputation of others. Write to encourage, to bring laughter, to positively impact, and or to make a difference in someone’s life.

Q. What lies ahead for you in the coming years? What next?

Ans. I am open to whatever God wants to accomplish in my life.

Q. Lastly, as we ask all authors on our platform, do you have any closing thoughts that you would like to share with the world and our readers?

Ans. I would like to encourage the world and our readers to get to know their Creator; Build an intimate relationship with Him; Give Him permission to rule and reign in your lives. He promised that nothing can separate us from His love (Romans 8:35-39). He is exactly who we need to complete our final race of life. (John 15:4-5).