“Commit your way to the Lord; trust in Him and He will act.” — Psalm 37:5
One prayer. One dream. One extraordinary answer.
There are moments in life that quietly change us. They don’t necessarily make headlines, or answer every difficult question about life or faith, and they certainly don’t remove all our doubts or explain why suffering exists.
But every now and then, something happens that gently reminds us that God is still present, still listening ,and still working behind the scenes.
This is one of those moments in my life.
A journey that began with cancer
When I was nine years old, I was diagnosed with an aggressive cancer in my jaw. My parents were told that, without radical treatment, I had only a few months to live. They agreed to treatment that involved an extraordinarily high dose of radiation for that era. Humanly speaking, the future looked bleak, yet, by God’s grace, I survived.
Many years later I faced cancer again when my thyroid had to be removed after early signs of cancer were discovered.
Those experiences have never left me.
I don’t pretend to understand why I survived while so many others have not. That remains one of life’s deepest mysteries.
However, I have always viewed my life as a gift, and perhaps that is one reason I have spent almost fifty years trying to encourage others—as a teacher, sports coach, school principal, mentor and now, in retirement, as a writer.
A gentle nudge
When I retired from education, people often asked me what I planned to do next. The honest answer was that I wasn’t sure.
During my daily walks I sensed what Christians often describe as a “still, small voice.” It wasn’t dramatic, and there was no flash of lightning – just a growing conviction that I should begin writing books that would encourage Christian educators and, more broadly, anyone seeking to support and mentor young people.
In the early 2000s, I had four education books published by Essential Resources in New Zealand, but, to be honest, becoming an author had never been one of my ambitions.
Sometimes obedience begins with taking one small step, so I wrote one book, then another, and another.
Today those books have led to mentoring resources, blogs, podcasts and videos that continue to encourage people in ways I could never have imagined.
Looking back, I can see that God was gently leading me, one step at a time.
A simple prayer
One prayer, which is neither long nor complicated, has become part of my daily routine. It’s along these lines: “Lord, please place these books into the hands of the people You want to receive them.”
That prayer has always reminded me that these books are not really mine, and if they are to make any difference, God will have to guide them to the people who need them.
Then one ordinary morning in 2024 something extraordinary happened.
Two prayers
After finishing my morning prayer, I heard the familiar notification sound from my mobile phone, which is connected to my hearing aid. An email had arrived.
A lady named Melanie, from Napier (New Zealand), had ordered one of my mentoring books.
I smiled, thanked God, wrapped the book, and took it to the post office that morning before letting her know it was on its way.
The next day another email arrived, which stopped me in my tracks.
Melanie wrote:
“Thank you for the speedy shipment. I am very much looking forward to reading your book. It might sound strange to you, but I woke up this morning with your name on my mind after having a dream about teen issues. I have recently started helping with the intermediate-aged children at our church and had been praying to God about how to connect with them. I had never heard of you before, so God literally put your name on my mind. It must be His answer to my prayer.”
I read the email several times.
Only minutes earlier I had been asking God to place my book into the hands of someone He wanted to encourage. Meanwhile, hundreds of kilometres away, someone I had never met had been praying for guidance in her ministry with young people.
Neither of us knew the other existed, and yet our paths crossed that very morning.
Some people will see that as coincidence, and I respect that.
Personally, I don’t, as for me, it was one of those rare moments when heaven quietly brushed against everyday life.
An unexpected confirmation
When I shared the story with my long-time friend and spiritual mentor, Michael Cassidy, his response encouraged me deeply. He wrote:
“You must keep writing, Robin, because you have a real gift… You must keep mentoring… God approves of your writings.”
Those words stayed with me, not because they came from someone widely respected across Africa for decades of faithful Christian ministry, but because they echoed what I had quietly sensed in my own heart for several years.
Keep writing, keep encouraging, and keep pointing people towards hope.
Sometimes God confirms His direction through circumstances, sometimes through Scripture, and sometimes through the encouragement of trusted friends.
That day He seemed to use all three.
Looking back
As I reflect on my life, I realise this story isn’t really about selling a book, nor is it even primarily about answered prayer.
It is about God’s faithfulness over many decades.
From surviving childhood cancer, to a lifetime spent working with young people, to discovering a new purpose after retirement, I can see a thread running through it all.
My life has not been without difficulties – far from it. It has been a life gently guided by a God who has never stopped walking beside me.
I still have questions
People sometimes imagine that Christians have all the answers.
We don’t.
I certainly don’t. I cannot explain why some people are healed while others are not, or why innocent people suffer. I cannot explain every mystery of faith.
But I have learned that faith is built on learning to trust the One who does, not on having every answer.
For me, this story became another reminder that God still hears prayers. Sometimes He answers quietly, sometimes unexpectedly, and sometimes by connecting lives that would otherwise never have met.
If you’re wondering…
Perhaps you’re reading this because your own faith has grown tired, or you’ve prayed for years and feel as though heaven has gone silent. Maybe, you’ve never really believed at all.
Wherever you find yourself, my hope is not that my story convinces you of anything, as only God can do that.
My hope is simply that it encourages you to remain open to the possibility that He is nearer than you think.
Looking back, I believe God answered two prayers that morning – mine and Melanie’s. Perhaps there was a third answer as well. He was quietly answering the question I had been asking since retirement: “Lord, am I doing what You have called me to do?”
I believe His answer was wonderfully simple: “Yes. Keep writing.”
And so, by God’s grace, I will.
