Some say that writing a book is like having a baby. In my experience, this is true–if you add “while simultaneously running a marathon.”

THE DEADLINE The day I finished the book, I laughed, I cried, and then I slept like the dead. I had absolutely crawled across the finish line supported by a tidal wave of God’s grace. In the last few weeks of writing, I’d gotten to truly practice what I was attempting to preach.

I had been plagued by a persistent health issue for at least a month and spent that morning of my deadline at the doctor’s going through testing.  But I had set my deadline of April 15th, and was stubbornly sticking to it. After all, I only had (three pages) of citations left to finish.

It would be just after midnight that I would complete the final citation and actually send the file to my editor. Only after I slept the rest of the night and woke up would I realize that April 16th was the feast of St. Bernadette Soubrious, who received the visions of Our Lady of Lourdes and who is the Patron Saint of the Sick.  What a gift.

The Backstory

In January of 2020, I signed a contract with a publisher to write a book. That book never happened (more on that someday!) because instead, the Lord wanted me to write a book on another subject: Redemptive Suffering. 

Over the years, I had written short devotions and given plenty of talks and workshops about Redemptive Suffering, but it’s not exactly a popular subject in the publishing world.

Then one day in November of 2022 I was lying in bed recovering from a significant surgery when I received a message: “Hey Megan, do you have any recommendations for a book on how to offer up redemptive suffering?”

This beautiful woman then went on to share her struggle, and said, “I know this is an opportunity for prayer & to offer up my sufferings, but I feel I need some practical advice on how to do that. Any recommendations?” 

I immediately went to respond with recommendations… and then realized that I had none.

Pope Saint John Paull II had written a beautiful encyclical on Redemptive Suffering called Salvifici Doloris, but it wasn’t exactly light reading or practical advice. I sent her my regrets along with an online talk I had given in hopes that it would help.

The next morning, I woke up with what felt like a ‘divine download’ (as my mom lovingly calls it) of a chapter list flashing in my mind. I hurriedly tapped it out in my notes app on my phone, then went about my day. But it wouldn’t go away. 

So I started writing, even though I was nowhere near finished with the other “book” I was supposed to be writing. In January of 2023 I discerned with the help of my spiritual director that this book on suffering was indeed the book God was asking me to write. By June, I had let my editor in on the secret, sending several sample chapters I’d already written. She was instantly convinced.  “This is truly about hope in suffering!” she proclaimed. She immediately brought it to the rest of the publishing team for a vote, and they were all in.