Guest Amy Bovaird

Author/Speaker Amy Bovaird just released her new book: Hitting a Home Run: Blind and Thriving. It is currently sitting at #1 in New Releases in  45-minute Short Travel Reads.

I have a very special treat for everybody this time. I want to showcase a true warrior of Christianity today. As a very special guest on this website, she is in a similar situation as myself. An inspiration to even me, Amy is determined not to let things get her down. Due to unfortunate life situations and circumstances, her faith has been challenged to the max. I feel God brought me across one of her books this month. After reading "Seeking Solace," I was blown away.

Amy Bovaird has faced more hardships in her life than most people will ever know, yet she remains true to her King and stands to proclaim Christ to thousands around her. Not to take too much thunder away from her interview, or her books (no spoilers intended), but when I found out that she had never wavered through all these incredibly difficult times, well... I just felt I needed to tip my hat to her. I simply had to get her a spot on this blog. In my own case, I know that there were some dark moments that I had to ask some really difficult questions to God. Just as Weston faced in the first chapter of my novel "The Convergence," I admit I had been pretty angry with the Lord inside. My difficult times in life fashioned me into who I am today, no doubt, but it didn't come without grumbling. In Amy's situation, I am just floored that she was able to come through everything without ever shaking a fist at God or questioning her faith. So without any further delay, I want to introduce a fellow author/speaker, who is truly living as a "Life Compass" for Jesus, not letting bad things dictate her life. She is living the life of a blazing torch in the night sky. Ladies and Gentlemen, Amy Bovaird.

Of all the hardships you have faced, which seems the most difficult to accept?  Which of your hardships has been the hardest one to still keep your faith strong?  Why?

Hard to say which is the hardest. We lost my sister to Leukemia when she was only 58, and that hit us all hard. I couldn’t understand why God took her when so many needed her strength. After my dad’s passing, she had become the hub of the family. But at least Mom was here to share the grief. When we unexpectedly lost my mother two years later, I fell apart for a time. I had accepted my first big speaking engagement out of town, and had to leave early. It was the only morning I did not check on her.  She was found “unresponsive” midmorning, and later we learned she had suffered a massive stroke, pronbably during the night. I was wracked by guilt and missed her so. She and my older brother and I lived together. Eventually, I handled the grief by looking at how God had met my needs in the past. I learned God had prepared me for handing her passing by getting me through really tough losses in my past. I guess that one was the hardest to cope with. I remember breaking down during the Mother’s Day church service that year (a week after her passing), clutching the hand of my 92-year-old sister in Christ. Seeking Solace, a devotional with 45 devotions, was the result of that heartbreaking period. I came out of that challenge knowing without a doubt God was walking beside me helping me to bear the grief and slowly remove the guilt I felt. God’s strength helped me to reach out to my brother in his grief. 

What would you say to someone who is struggling right now with hardships to encourage them to keep pushing?

The first thing I do is ask if I can pray for or with the person. Or I will tell them I am—and actually do that. Depends on the circumstance, but sometimes I share the story of how God helped me not only get through my divorce, but also rekindled a friendship with my ex-husband. I began to pray for him, and read the Bible consistently. At the same time, I joined a Bible Study with expatriate women of faith. It changed my outlook and deepened my relationship and dependence on God. If it is a sight or hearing issue, I point to faith, a positive attitude, gratitude and humor. 

Do you feel that there is a cost to serving the Lord?  Do you feel that you have had to pay a price to stay true to the one you believe in?  What has been the reward of that?  Are there non-tangible things that you have learned that you would not have gained if not had gone through hardships?

That’s a really good question. I might have thought that in the past when I was not as grounded. When I lived in Colombia, I was the only single missionary (I use that term loosely in reference to me) and I wanted to travel. The team of five families wanted me to stay in the city to encourage the single members of the church. It felt like it was a steep price at the time because I didn’t share a deep love for new Christians and those struggling. I longed to see the world and I felt stifled. 

Today I don’t see it as a cost as much as a choice that we make every day. There are so many intangible rewards. God shows me his love in surprising and beautiful ways all the time. There are so many examples! He places people in my life, takes care of me in every way, and guides me. When I am lonely, he fills the gap. I love the words in one my hymns, “…and he walks with me and talks with me along life’s narrow way…” I feel his presence deeply. 

What are the keys that you have found that enable you to stay true to your faith no matter what obstacle you come across?

There are actually 5 keys that enable me to stay on track with my faith:

• Reading the Bible and seeing His love for me in the words. I’m not a Bible scholar at all. I look for words of comfort and strength. I see God as a loving father, who wraps his arms around me every day in some way of affection. 

• Choosing a few trusted Christian confidantes who hold me accountable to growing and following through on what I say I will do. These are people I can question, confess my faults to and who I know seek my best interest in fulfilling God’s call for my life. 

• I focus on the positive, am full of gratitude, confess my faults often, and ask for forgiveness so that I keep right relationships with family and friends. 

• I research what is going on in my vision and hearing loss.  Knowing the tools available help me overcome my fears and use my talents to bring people of diverse backgrounds together to dialogue. 

• My talents are writing and encouraging, so I focus on these two aspects to bring God glory. 

Does the world still look the same now as opposed to before your troubles all began?  Why?  What insight have you gleaned from everything?

The world looks very different. Facing hardship has enriched my life by giving me more empathy and making me an advocate for others with disabilities or who struggle. I have encountered so many courageous individuals who leave their mark on others. God has developed my leadership skills, and my desire to bring those with disabilities together in one setting to dialogue with each other and the community at large – to educate each other and unite. I feel so humbled that in spite of my deep-set fears and imperfections, God has placed this on my heart. Some of my insights have come from living overseas and seeing others struggle, and some have come from my own struggles or those I’ve met. I am a kinder, more supportive person as a result. 

What inspiration keeps you going?

I find inspiration everywhere—in others, in faith-filled testimony, in what God reveals to me through my own writing, and in nature. Animals, both wild and tame, inspire me to be gentle.  Children, acts of kindness, and laughter also inspire me to simplify my life, and enjoy it more. Global handicrafts inspire me to be creating and giving—dolls, weavings, and designs from wood. Friendships around the globe inspire me to be a better person and to be a positive light to whomever I meet.  

Do you see heaven and the next life in it differently after going through your struggles here on earth?  Are you eager for what is waiting for you?

I see heaven as a place of refuge and do look forward to seeing my parents and sister, and countless others, including my babies that died, in heaven. I think going through my struggles has transformed me, and as the Bible says, the renewal of my mind keeps me from fearing death. 

Now that God has changed your life and given you a mission here on earth, do you find peace knowing you are doing great things for God?  How has this mission of helping people changed your focus?

I don’t think I’m doing great things for God at all.  I love that song lyric that originates in the Bible, “if just a cup of water is all that He asks, then just a cup of water is all that He demands.”  In a Kenyan village, a woman showed me a woven cup she had made for me. Seeing her beautiful handiwork, I gushed over it. Surprisingly, she took it back. Thick strands of basket weaving hung from the bottom of it. She said she needed to finish it. I thought the part hanging down was intended as the pattern.  That cup, later finished and gifted to me, reminds me there is beauty in our efforts, no matter how small, and we are all unfinished with hanging strands trailing behind us. Even at that stage, we are made beautiful by God’s love and the pattern that emerges through our own personal designs. We can only do small acts of kindness and service in gratitude for God’s love—and our love and appreciation for others.   

I want to thank you Amy for being so open and transparent with us. It has been an honor to have you on this blog. Thank you and may God bless you.

In the essence of what "Life Compass Ministries" is all about, if you are someone struggling with difficult times and need pointed to an incredible story of inspiration, check out Amy's books. She also has a devotion sampler, captured beautifully with the featured image of this post.

Amy's books can be found on her website: https://amybovaird.com/

You can also find her new best seller at https://bit.ly/HittingHomeRun

Interview by Chuck Carr