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The story of Marilyn Baker Ministries, A Beautiful Tapestry is a warm and encouraging book that shows how God's love can change lives. Read an interview with Tracy Williamson and Marilyn Baker below:
Why did you decide to write A Beautiful Tapestry?
Tracy:We wanted to share some of the wonderful things God has done in our lives. We are very ordinary, quite weak women who have come through some difficulties in life; difficulties that could easily have held us back, yet God still had plans for us, and we wanted to write something that would inspire others to understand how deeply he is involved in their lives too.
Marilyn:We wanted to try to capture in a real way the unusual combination of a blind and a deaf person working together with God at the centre, leading us into all sorts of adventures. We often feel weak but he is strong, and his strength is made perfect in weak people.
Who have you written this book for?
Tracy: For everyone who enjoys reading about other people’s lives, and for anyone who wants to be inspired to see how God can bring transformation to deep hurts and use people who humanly are weak. We believe that although it is a Christian book that non-Christians will be able to read it and enjoy the story and see how God’s love can work in their own lives.
Marilyn:For anyone who is interested in real-life stories to encourage and show what amazing things can be done when disability is put into God’s hands
Why did you choose this title?
Tracy:I felt God gave me the idea for the title to show his ongoing creative work in all our lives, connecting us together in awesome ways.
Marilyn:And because it does seem that God wove us together. We would never have imagined things happening as they have. It shows how much he is at work drawing people together and making connections that are so unlikely but can become beautiful in his hands.
You have looked back over many years of ministry to write this book. How would you describe what God has done through your ministry, and how does that make you feel?
Tracy:Music has the power to touch people deep inside, often where they are hurting or broken, and when that music is combined with personal stories and insights from God it seems to open doors to people having their own healing encounters with God, and that’s what we’ve seen again and again. It makes us feel awed and humbled. We are not showy in any way, Marilyn’s songs are usually just simple lyrics accompanied by piano and yet God works, and it is incredible to think that from an emotionally crippled person who finds God through the ministry, to a big church receiving encouragement and new vision, God uses the ministry to touch all.
Marilyn:He has encouraged and changed lives. People often say we have given them courage and a desire to grow closer to the Lord. It makes us feel amazed as we look back and profoundly grateful.
You have included testimonies from people who have been touched in some way by God through your ministry. Is there a one that really stands out for you?
Tracy: So many people have written over the years, or shared verbally, how they’ve been touched by God’s love. They are yet more strands in the tapestry of the wonderful work God is doing in each of our lives. One of my favourite testimonies was that of the lady in prison serving a life sentence who was so despairing she was planning to die, but someone sent her Marilyn’s tape and she received it on the very day she’d planned to take her life. As she listened, the desire to die left her and then she met with the Lord and became a Christian. The timing and power of that story seemed incredible and hope filled for us all.
Marilyn:The testimonies show that stopping for the one is so important to God. Individuals matter and he knows each person’s life in detail. When Tracy had a prompting to get one particular lady to have her make up done at our ‘Colour Me Beautiful’ workshop, she shared afterwards how she’d always felt rubbish and even used to cover herself with faeces as she hated herself so much, but now she’d been picked out for this makeover and heard everyone saying how beautiful she looked, she knew that God loved her and was honouring her. It was so moving.
What was the most challenging element of writing the book?
Tracy:Writing a combined story is always challenging! Trying to think together about what to include and what to leave out. Even trying to remember the stories was a struggle as neither of us are ‘detail’ people. Similarly with the accounts from our early lives, it was hard because with a typical memoir you have time to go through the years but we knew we couldn’t dwell for long in the ‘growing up’ eras but at the same time needed to include enough to make them real stories and real glimpses into our lives. So, it took a lot of working out, discussing, and occasionally getting a bit tense and frustrated with each other too!
Marilyn:Remembering the details and knowing how to fit stories in and create a good order for the book.
And what was the most rewarding element of writing this book?
Tracy:Looking back to write the book made me feel both amazed and deeply grateful as it showed me afresh that God truly is watching over all our lives and we are safe in his hands. It was also wonderful to think of all the dear friends that have made our story what it is. The love and sacrificial giving of their time, money, and spiritual gifts to the ministry has enriched our lives so much.
Marilyn:Treasuring afresh the people we have known and loved throughout the years, how their lives have touched ours, and how God has been faithful to us through thick and thin.
Have you learnt anything new/ been reminded afresh about your own personal journey with God as you have looked back over your life while writing this book?
Tracy:It’s shown me how important it is to keep close to the Father’s heart and keep that same sense of wonder and joy in all he is doing in my life. I feel challenged to keep living my life as an adventure with him, ready to go along any new paths that he may lead me on.
Marilyn:We are all works in progress. God has not finished with us yet and we need to keep being open to his spirit and always ready to learn fresh things, keeping our ears wide open to his voice and promptings of love.
What do you hope readers will most get out of reading this book?
Tracy: Inspiration, joy, encouragement as they think about their own lives, and the realisation that God is weaving a beautiful tapestry in all our lives, not just ours. I hope that people will laugh and relax with the book and be moved and maybe even cry as God touches them.
Marilyn:I hope they will feel deeply encouraged , that if he can use us he can use them too; that they will enjoy the humour and see through our ups and downs how God is always faithful.
How would you summarise A Beautiful Tapestry?
Tracy:A glimpse into God’s wonderful, creative, transforming work in our lives, seeing how the many ordinary threads of the inconsequential, muddled, and confusing things of life can be changed into something beautiful and life giving.
Marilyn:A book about two ordinary people who have a mighty, faithful heavenly Father.
How can we pray for you?
Tracy:The future is uncertain especially with the repercussions of Covid-19. Please pray we are kept close to God and filled with his Spirit, ready to hear any promptings he may give us and not be inflexible about how things should or shouldn’t be. I would love to do more writing and speaking and to really help people to grow in God’s love and for that I need to be in that place every day of being built up in him myself.
Marilyn: Pray as we face a new period in our ministry that we will be able to move with God into new things he wants to do and that I can still be creative in writing new songs to lift people’s hearts and help them find God’s love for themselves.
Click here to order A Beautiful Tapestry by Tracy Williamson and Marilyn Baker.
