Sharon Garlough Brown is the author of the Sensible Shoes series, a unique collection of contemporary novels that traces the lives of four women who meet at a spiritual retreat center. In the fourth and final installment, An Extra Mile (InterVarsity Press), the friends cheer on each other as they struggle to follow God’s calling and navigate through times of deep joy and devastating loss. In this interview, Sharon describes the real-life inspiration behind the series, the stealthy ways stories impart insight, and how readers can use the novels to enliven their own walk with God…
First, please tell us a little about how the Sensible Shoes series came into being. What inspired you to write it?
In September of 2008 I began leading a weekly group for 12 women at our church. I wanted to introduce some spiritual disciplines that have deeply impacted my life with God, practices that have helped me pay attention to the presence of God and to the movement of the Spirit in transformative ways. Each week we explored an ancient Christian practice like prayerfully reading the Word (lectio divina), the prayer of examen, and praying with imagination. We practiced silence, journaled, and listened prayerfully to one another’s stories. The women grew to trust each other deeply, confessing sins and naming sorrows. We watched God work in profound ways to bring about healing, transformation, and freedom.
In one of our first meetings, one of the women in the group looked around the circle and commented, “Everybody here is wearing really cute, but sensible shoes!” The phrase stuck, and we began to refer to ourselves as the “Sensible Shoes Club.” God was leading us through the unpredictable and sometimes treacherous terrain of the inner life, and we needed sensible shoes for the journey. We also needed one another.
As we walked together, I sensed there was a story to tell—not a story about our particular journeys, but a story about the power of the Spirit to conform us into the image of Christ. I began to wonder what would happen if I created four characters who meet at a retreat center in order to learn ways to walk more closely with God. And so Meg, Hannah, Mara, and Charissa emerged from my imagination.
You impart a lot of spiritual truth through the lives of your four main characters. Why do you think that storytelling is such a powerful way to communicate truth?
We tend to read fiction differently than nonfiction. Our defenses are down when we read fiction, and so we’re open to being drawn into the lives of characters, to inhabit their worlds, to journey with them. Good characters can become mirrors for seeing ourselves more clearly—that’s part of the joy of reading stories.
Stories are stealthy. They can stir us, confront us, comfort us, inspire us, and penetrate us when we’re least expecting it. Jesus understood the power of imagination and used story to reveal the kingdom of God in profound ways. The beauty of storytelling is that it’s invitational, so it can pursue us long after we’ve read—or heard—the last word.
What kinds of challenges do your four main characters face throughout the series?
Throughout the series the characters are wrestling with common issues: letting go of control, trusting God, people-pleasing, perfectionism, hiding behind busyness, fear, regret, guilt, and shame. In the midst of all of these challenges, they’re discovering ways to grow in their confidence in God’s love and grace, and they’re deepening bonds in community. But spiritual growth is never linear. Transformation isn’t quick or easy. And their lives are messy. They each experience significant loss and heartaches along the way. They’re challenged to love others well, especially those who make life difficult for them. And they’re each invited to learn what it means to die to self and live in Christ.
Without revealing too much, tell us a little about the final book, An Extra Mile. What are a few ways your characters have grown and changed?
An Extra Mile is a book about grieving with hope. When the book opens, the characters are trying to process a devastating loss which threatens to unravel their newfound community. The story takes place during the seasons of Lent and Easter, and the themes in the book point both to the suffering of Christ and the glory of His resurrection.
The characters are growing in grace. They’re growing in authenticity and courage. They’re awakening to the presence of God in the ordinary circumstances of life. They’re being enlarged in their capacity to love God and love others. They’re learning to let go of control and to trust that God is with them and for them, even when life doesn’t go as planned.
What do you hope readers will take away after reading the series?
The series is about being transformed and healed by the love of God. My hope is that readers will say yes to the invitation to travel deeper into God’s heart, to experience His grace, mercy, compassion, and forgiveness, and to do this in community. We’re not meant to travel alone. I also hope readers will discover some new, life-giving ways of keeping company with Jesus through the practice of spiritual disciplines.
I often hear from readers who long to experience a retreat like the characters in Sensible Shoes. To help facilitate that, there’s a 12-week study guide designed for both individuals and groups. The guide is essentially a primer in spiritual formation and includes daily Scripture readings, reflection questions, and prayer practices. The other books in the series also have accompanying companion guides for prayer and reflection at the back of each book. I hope each book in the series facilitates a reader’s encounter with God.