Episode 30: God Shows up in the Still, Silent, and Simple - Spotting a Book on the Death Penalty

Sometimes we don’t know what to say or what to share, but in those moments, God can show up in mighty ways. As Stephanie sat down to record this episode, she wasn’t sure what message she would share. But in that still moment, a simple miracle happened: a book she had been searching for for months appeared sticking out of the bookshelf beside her. The book, Dead Man Walking by Sister Helen Prejean, was signed by the author years ago when Stephanie heard her speak in person. It is a true story of Helen’s experience as a spiritual advisor to men on death row. The reason Stephanie was looking for this particular book? She is making a film about her friend who was shot and killed in the line of duty, which was tried as a death penalty case. 

Instagram: @Giving_Gal

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GivingGal 

YouTube: Shine Forward Creative

Website: https://shineforwardcreative.com/ 

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:12

Hey friends, welcome to the Only God podcast, where we share stories only God can write. I'm your host, Stephanie L. Jones. In each episode, we'll dive into powerful testimonies, have great conversations, and encouragement that remind us when the impossible happens, it's only God. Let's get started. Hey friends, it's Stephanie here with another episode of the Only God Podcast, sharing stories only God could write. And I gotta be honest with you, is I sat down in this chair to record a personal episode. And if you listen to this podcast, is I record um personal episodes and then I do interviews. And the reason I do personal episodes is I just haven't been sure if I'll be able to have enough interviews lined up. Um so I just put in my personal stories. Well, I have I feel like I'm overwhelmed with personal stories and which ones to share. And then I also get overwhelmed with the fact like, have I already said that on this podcast? Or did I share that with somebody this week? And it wasn't the podcast. And honestly, I was just getting really discouraged as I was sitting here, like, what am I gonna talk about? And even things that I thought to talk about, I was like, I think I need preparation for that. And I don't know, I was just getting very frustrated. And as I was sitting here, as you can see, I have all these bookshelves behind me, which most of these are my books, but if I pan that way, you can see I've got a lot of books, and anyways, as I was just sitting here, honestly, about ready to give up, and I'm like, I'll figure this out on another day. I turned my head and out sticking from my shelf was this book. It's Dead Men Walking by Sister Helen Prajan. And I could have cried when I saw that book sticking out. Because, friends, I've been looking for this book for months, probably since September. And the reason why I've been looking for this book is because um, if you've listened to previous episodes, I'm in the middle of um making a documentary on the murder of my friend Trooper Scott Patrick, and it was actually a death penalty case. So they tried it as a death penalty case, and just in the making of this movie, it's something that we I think ask like everybody that we've interviewed their opinions on the death penalty, and it's it is just not, I don't know, it's a very hard topic to discuss. And I remembered as we were preparing for this, that years ago I had actually got an opportunity to go listen to Sister Helen Purjan. Um, that book is based off of a her life story um befriending a man on death row. And she came to, I think it was Valparaiso University, and I went and heard her speak and actually bought this book. This is before I really read books, cared about books, and uh actually had her sign this book, and so I've just been looking for this book for months, and I mean, I'm not kidding you. I have scoured these shelves, I have pulled books out, I haven't been able to find it, and then what was even crazier is I get up and I'm like, okay, Lord, maybe for some reason I am supposed to just talk about this, but then when I go over and grab this book, this little piece of paper is stuck in between this book and another book. And this is like a really old piece of paper. If you're watching on YouTube or Spotify or whatever, like this paper, this would have come, I would have printed this out when I had a Yahoo or a Hotmail account, which I have not used in decades, probably. And it's a police officer's prayer. I have not seen this. I don't I have moved these books around a gazillion times. I don't even know where this came from. I mean, I'm sure I did it. Anyways, I just got on here to say is I didn't know what I was gonna talk about today. And I just I think that's how God shows up sometimes, as like we just have to sit, be still right when we're getting ready to give up and like, oh, I don't have a message. Sometimes it's just like looking over there or looking somewhere or looking up a God or bowing your head in prayer, and God's like, here's the book you've been looking for. Now, I don't know, maybe you don't believe that's a God, uh, but for me, I don't even I don't know how else it got there. I literally have been looking for this book for months. Um, and the reason why I was looking for the book is I just want to go back and and read it. I mean, we've done all the interviews and they're completed. Um and I mean my personal opinion is I don't think I believe in the death penalty. Um, maybe for some very like a very minute, um maybe like evil, evil. Um I don't know. So I just wanted to reread this book and and see what she had to say about the death penalty and her walking alongside of this man um that was on death row. And so I don't have a big lesson for you today. Maybe that that was it, or I don't know, a big story. I just I don't know. I just wanted to get on here and and share that with you. So um maybe whatever you're looking for is take time to pause, take time to rest, give it to God, and He'll work it out, even the smallest things. And so thank you, friends, for taking time to listen to the Only God Podcast, sharing stories. Only God could write. Hey friends, thank you for joining me today on the Only God Podcast. I hope today's story encouraged your faith and reminded you that God is still writing our stories each and every day. If you were inspired by this episode, please share, subscribe, and tell a friend. And to stay connected with me and find out about all my books and resources and events, go to shineforwardcreative.com. Have a fabulous day.