He’s Making Diamonds: What You Need to Know About Author S. G. Willoughby

In many ways, Sara is a normal teenager. She loves to read (some of her favorite books are The Chronicles of Narnia, God’s Smuggler, and The Blades of Acktar), and she likes to spend time with her family. But in many ways, Sara is different: she’s gone through a long journey of illness, she’s written a full-length book about it, and she has let God work through her in so many big ways.

This story begins on July 23rd, 2015, when Sara came down with strep throat. It’s a common ailment that most of us experience once every few years–but in Sara’s case, it was different.

“It triggered a huge decline in my health,” Sara said. “I was given one month to live without proper treatment. Eventually, I was diagnosed with Lyme disease, mold poisoning, and MCS.”

Although Sara’s health problems began with symptoms such as food sensitivities and joint pain, they became much worse over time–testing her faith, testing the faith of her family, and drastically changing their entire lifestyle. But Sara relied on her faith in God to help her stay strong. Today, she’s on the path to healing–and with healing comes new adventures.

“I’ve always enjoyed writing, though I began to write more seriously and regularly when I was about twelve,” Sara said. Her book He’s Making Diamonds, available in paperback or ebook form on Amazon, comes out today. The book came from the realization that so many people–not only Sara’s fellow chronically ill teens, but everyone–were struggling and asking questions, and that’s what the book speaks to. The main message of He’s Making Diamonds is that “God, out of love, has a good purpose in the midst of our pain and suffering. It isn’t wasted, and He’s using it to refine us to be more and more Christ-like.”

Sara’s book was written while she was sick, and it was a difficult process.

“The thing about chronic illness is that it’s so unpredictable. It was hard to make and reach goals… because I never knew when I was going to flare and be unable to write for weeks or months at a time. For example, back in January I thought, ‘July 23rd would be a cool date to publish my book on [since that’s the day I got sick]…’ but then I lost four of the six months I was banking on due to illness. It went from difficult to impossible.”

Sara points to God’s grace sustaining her throughout the journey. “It is sufficient for me,” she says, citing 2 Corinthians 12:9, her favorite Scripture passage. And these days, Sara is doing better–she’s not as sick as she used to be. Although every day is different due to symptoms coming and going, a day in her life might look something like this: get up early for a therapy horseback ride; come home for breakfast and to apply essential oils; and take supplements every twenty minutes while she works on writing projects for the rest of the morning. After lunch (which comes, of course, with a side of more supplements), Sara heads to a doctor appointment, which takes up the afternoon. Then comes dinner, more supplements, and watching TV or a movie with her family. “This is all assuming, of course, that nothing is abnormal,” Sara adds. “A very risky assumption!”

Her journey to self-publishing surprised her in some ways. “I’d done a lot of research about writing and indie-publishing beforehand,” Sara says, “but I was surprised by how encouraging and supportive every single person was along the way.” She points to everyone who helped her throughout the process–alpha and beta readers, cover designer, editor, foreword writer, and more. They’ve all helped Sara get He’s Making Diamonds, a book “for teens with chronic illness, by a teen with chronic illness,” to a place where you can buy it.

And that’s what I’m here to tell you to do–whether you’re a teen with a chronic illness or not. Although the book shares the lessons Sara has learned through her time of illness, they can apply to anyone who has experienced a period of suffering, so don’t feel like you can’t buy the book if you’re not a teen with a chronic illness! He’s Making Diamonds is Sara’s story of how God’s grace was sufficient through her time of suffering–and how it can be sufficient through yours.

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Click here to purchase Sara’s book, click here to watch the book trailer, and click here to follow her on Instagram.