7 Life Lessons From Beverly Lewis

Wisdom can be found in many places. The sage advice of a grandparent. Or the learned words of a Church elder. A central theme of the Bible is wisdom, with books such as Proverbs, Psalms and Ecclesiastes. And wisdom can also be found in the words of our favourite authors.

One such author is the queen of Amish fiction, Beverly Lewis. Her books are set against a backdrop of rolling fields and horse-drawn carriages but the wisdom held within is by no means modest and only relevant for the Amish communities of today.

When you hear Beverly Lewis talk of reading, it’s clear that she recognises their immense power to transport the reader to new places, describing books as like friends, where the words come alive on the page. She is also unafraid to harness the transformative power of the written word:

“This is what reading is like to me. It's finding a spring in the midst of a barren land. Just when I think I might up and die of thirst, I stumble onto this fresh, cold water, and I'm suddenly given this new life because I can-and do-drink to my heart's content.”

From the sensible declaration that ‘worry leads to grey hair’ found in The Mercy to teaching on patience: ‘yet another virtue, one that grows stronger through the practice of waiting’ (The Prodigal) there is life-changing, faith-empowering knowledge to be found interwoven amongst the romance, tragedy and redemption of her stories.

Here are five more lessons found in the pages of her novels:

“Happiness isn't wanting what you can get, but wanting what you have.” - The Judgement

“We can trust the Savior even when we can't trust ourselves.” - The Brethren

“I’ve learned that sometimes I have to give up my right to know and simply believe that God’s knowing is enough.” - The Guardian

“She stretched, relaxing in the comfortable bed as she recalled that Dawdi Jeremiah believed wholeheartedly that if a person would simply lie in bed for twenty minutes before rising, the day would go more smoothly.” - The Thorn

“God works in mysterious ways at times, so we will trust Him for the outcome. And always remember, His mercy holds us up when we reach the end of our own strength.” - The Thorn

Her newest novel, The Road Home, a moving story of healing from the past and finding a place to call home, is available to buy now.