What lessons or truths do you hope people take away from How the Light Gets In?
I want readers to see that Jesus is the only one who can offer lasting fulfillment and peace. Marital frustration often stems from the fact that husbands and wives expect their spouses to fulfill that longing. But when you both begin to pursue Jesus and understand your identity in him, it releases your spouse from that unattainable expectation, and you can both pull together toward wholeness and joy.
You say this story is both cautionary and redemptive. Can you explain that a bit, without giving too much away?
How the Light Gets In is a cautionary tale because it tells the story of two people who have lost sight of each other in the day-to-day demands of parenthood and obligation. I want readers to see how they might be falling into a similar pattern—for instance, reaching for their smart phones at the end of the day rather than reconnecting with their husband or wife—and inspire them to incorporate simple ways to reconnect hearts. This story is a redemptive one as well because Ruth and Chandler are given a second chance to love each other better. As long as we have breath, I believe we can learn to love each other better. This story challenged me even as I wrote it. At this point in the publishing process, How the Light Gets In challenges me still.
As an author, what did you particularly enjoy about writing this story?
I wrote How the Light Gets In during a particularly challenging season in our marriage—we had just moved home to Tennessee from Wisconsin, leaving our farm and my husband’s homesteading dreams—and the process of understanding Ruth’s and Chandler’s martial journey helped me have a deeper appreciation for ours. Life isn’t always as linear as we would like, and we have to learn to love each other in the midst of transition, extending grace and empathy when one partner might be feeling that transition at a deeper level, because our time will come, and we will want them to extend grace to us as well.
How do you hope Ruth’s story will encourage readers?
I hope Ruth’s story will encourage readers to make their marriages a priority, even during the challenging young parenting years when it’s so hard to have the time and energy to reconnect. Ironically, it’s 6:30 in the morning, and I’m writing this on a plane bound for Colorado for our tenth anniversary trip. It’s been a challenging season while we’re building our house, raising our daughters, and working to eliminate some health issues, and therefore it’s even more necessary for us to get away and find each other again as husband and wife, not just mom and dad.
What is it about Ruth’s story that women will relate to?
I am passionate about women taking time to pursue creative outlets that pour back into their souls. Our society places a lot of demands on women that can often leave us physically, emotionally, and spiritually parched. I would love if women would read Ruth’s story, of taking time to pursue her artistry even while juggling young motherhood, and find the courage to pursue their artistry as well. Since we are all created in the Artist’s image, is it any wonder that our hearts come most alive while we’re creating? Discover what you love—painting, singing, knitting, writing, baking—and pursue it. You have a gift.
Click through to find out in what way Jolina hopes this book will bring healing to marriages…