Written March 15, 2012
Dear Shelley,
I am writing this as an open-letter to you, as I do not have your address. I will send a copy to your publisher: Barnabas Publishers, PO Box 6006, Altadena, CA 91003 and hope that you will get a copy.
Thank you! Thank you! Thank you for writing “Isolation, A Place of Transformation in the Life of a Leader.” A friend sent me your book. I was intrigued by the title, so I read a few pages and was hooked! I couldn’t put it down until I finished it. As you said, God puts 95% of His leaders through a time of “isolation” like Joseph in prison, Moses in the desert, and even Jesus in the desert for 40 days. Both the Bible and history record hundreds of example where God takes a man away from a ministry for a time of isolation either with prison, captivity, illness, or other circumstance in order to gain a deeper relationship with Himself, and to prepare the individual for an even greater ministry. It has helped me to see my prison time from God’s perspective. I’ve seen Him working inside me in hundreds of ways that are hard to explain.
Many people are “isolated” in a hospital, wheelchair, prison cell, a bad relationship, and are unable to see God’s hand in it. I pray that concerned friends will send “isolated people” a copy of your book so it can bless them like it blessed me!
My “isolation experience” or “desert experience” as you call it has sure caused me to go through the roller-coaster of emotions you describe so well. It is most encouraging to understand that this is a normal part of the process of God training a leader. I’m deeply concerned that many will fall away from serving the Lord in the trial of their faith, because they are not armed with an understanding of how God will use all trial, testing, and tribulation for His glory and their good.
Jesus warned His disciples that they WOULD endure tribulation, prison, trials, and even death. Yet, s-o-o-o-o-o many Christians have been lulled to sleep in prosperity, that when they face trials, they are totally unprepared. Thank you for showing us again in your book that “isolation time”—even prison and persecution—is not only normal, but good in the life of a believer.
You also mention in your book that God will use an “isolation time” to cause a “paradigm shift” in the life and ministry of a leader. That has sure happened to me in many areas. Though I am ready for this trial to be over, I can see how important this time has been in my growth as God’s child.
Thank you again for sharing your experience. I pray that it helps millions to continue serving the Lord. I’ll see you at the finish line!
In Christ,
Kent Hovind