Diane Noble Answers The Faithful Fifteen
August 2004
Faithfulreader.com: What kind of testimony to your faith are you demonstrating in this book? If you are writing fiction, do you write fiction that is based upon your faith, or that has a message for the reader? Is your goal to demonstrate your faith in your writing?
Diane Noble Because my faith is integral to everything I do, it's as natural as breathing to weave it into my writing --- through my characters' lives and experiences. Often, the faith element in my stories has something to do with what God is teaching me in my own life --- lessons of grace, forgiveness, leaning on Him even when I can't see the path ahead, that sort of thing. Sometimes I'm not aware of what He's teaching me until the book is finished.
One of my greatest blessings is hearing from readers (after the book is published) about how God touched their lives through my stories. I pray for my readers every morning before I begin writing, aware that He knows each by name and knows the struggles she may be facing when she reads the book. I'm in awe when, even years later, I receive letters from women who tell me how a book's spiritual themes were just what they needed to hear during a particularly troubling time of their lives, or their family's lives. What an awesome God!
FR: When did you come to a saving knowledge of Jesus? Where are you today in your walk? Is your faith an important part of what you do?
DN: I was blessed to grow up in a Christian home. I saw my parents give their lives to Christ when I was eight years old. It wasn't too much longer until I knelt beside my little bed and gave my heart to Jesus. I've had my personal heartaches and spiritual struggles through the years, times when I questioned God's guidance (I can be stubborn!), stumbled, fell --- yet He has always been there to pick me up, even carry me if necessary, and teach me valuable lessons about His mercy. I'm still learning more about my Savior every day, learning about the precious joys of walking with Him. He is my hope, my longing, my salvation.
FR: Tell us about your church experiences, how you grew up (or maybe didn't grow up) in the church, where you attend now, your involvement in your local assembly, etc.
DN: When I was a child, our family life was centered in a small community church that my father helped build (which became the only church in our little town). One of my dearest memories is of that little church in the pines, sitting in the front row, listening to my father's beautiful voice as he led the singing. Today, I play the keyboard for our local congregation (a small mission church) and when I play some of the traditional hymns ("Trust and Obey," "Amazing Grace," "Sweet Hour of Prayer" are just a few) my dad sang, I get teary thinking about the gift of faith he gave me.
FR: Tell us about your current church family/fellowship. How does it influence your work?
DN: My husband I are both active members of a small Episcopal mission church in a desert community in southern California. We love our congregation and feel this is where God has called us to serve. Our pastor and his wife are also dear friends. I will often call on them to be early readers of my manuscripts to give me feedback on spiritual and theological issues. They both read THE LAST STORYTELLER and gave me good insights about the moral and ethical issues surrounding embryonic stem cell research (which is a plot element that my characters deal with in the story). My husband and I are also part of a small group of believers in our church who are committed to praying for each other, being there for each other, and helping out --- being Christ's arms, hands, and feet --- no matter the need within our little congregation.
FR: Who are your spiritual mentors? Your professional mentors?
DN: Right now, my spiritual mentors are my pastor and his wife (mentioned above), but others through the years have been influential as well: pastors, authors, friends --- listening and advising, pointing me to Scriptures that might help me through a difficult time. God always brings someone into my life at just the time a specific need arises. Isn't He wonderful that way?
I'm blessed to have had several professional mentors --- Lisa Bergren is one who stands out. When she was fiction editor at Multnomah, she was the first to open the door to my becoming published. It was because of Lisa that my first five books, written under the pen name Amanda MacLean, were published in the wildly successful Palisades division of Multnomah. Francine Rivers's testimony and books hugely influenced my decision to write Christian fiction. And without a doubt, the writings of C.S. Lewis's (both fiction and nonfiction) influenced my writing --- and my life.
FR: Discuss your calling/mission --- as a writer and as a Christian.
DN: My mission is to be an instrument of Christ's love in tangible, practical ways --- to see others with His eyes, to reach out to others with His hands, to hug even the most unlovely with His arms. It's my deepest, heartfelt prayer that the words, the stories, I write will honor Him always and draw others closer to His heart.
FR: What are your Scripture reading habits?
DN: I try to begin every morning with prayer and a short Bible study. Right now I'm using EXPERIENCING GOD by Henry T. Blackaby and Claude V. King for my study. It's one of the best I've come across recently. I also love to read the Psalms and use them as patterns of prayer, especially in the middle of the night when concerns and anxieties seem to loom.
FR: What books have most influenced your work?
DN: There have been many, but a few that influenced me spiritually, and reflected in my writing, are: KNOWING GOD by J. I. Packer, CELEBRATION OF DISCIPLINE by Richard J. Foster, and THE SACRED ROMANCE: Drawing Closer to the Heart of God, by Brent Curtis and John Eldredge. Through the years, just about anything by C.S. Lewis has had a profound influence.
FR: Do you read secular fiction at all? If so, who are your favorite authors and why?
DN: I love to read --- even when I'm in the middle of a writing project. I love the works of Alice Sebold, Anne Lamott, Anita Shreve, Amy Tan, and Elizabeth Berg (to name just a few). All tell stories about people who seem very familiar --- as if the author listened in during the quietest whispers of my heart. I'm in awe of them and the stories they tell.
FR: What are your other media habits --- television, movies, music, etc.?
DN: I don't watch much television. When I do have time, I mostly watch PBS and well-balanced, analytical national news. (I make it a habit not to watch local news for anything other than the weather.) I enjoy movies from time to time and love music --- classical is my favorite.
FR: Do you and your family have any special faith-based traditions?
DN: Years ago when my daughters were young, our pastor loved to sing to the whole congregation (but for the benefit of the children) in his rather gravelly voice, "Has anybody told you, 'I love you' today? … Has anybody told you, 'I love you' today? … Has anybody told you, 'I love you' today? … Let me be the first, put me on your list, I love you today… I love you, God loves you, and that's how it should be…"
I've never heard anyone else sing this song, and he very well may have made it up. My daughters are out of the nest now and live a distance away. But sometimes, when I reach their answering machines, I sing that little song to them. It always brings a giggle and a tear --- on both ends of the line. And a reminder of God's love.
FR: Tell us about your prayer life and habits.
DN: Once a day I try to find a quiet place where I can spend time in solitude, focusing on silent prayer --- contemplative prayer. This is a time when I try to lift my heart in praise and adoration (especially thinking about attributes of God, His nature, such as His goodness, His mercy, His forgiveness, His peace) without asking for anything. (This is separate from my morning Bible study and prayer, when I lift my petitions before Him.)
Contemplative prayer has become a beautiful time of refreshment in His presence. It's so hard in today's world to be silent for even five minutes, but I find that even on the most hectic days, when I can find a minute to close my eyes and picture myself in God's arms, whispering, "Thank you for loving me," I can breathe again and make it through the rest of the day.
My speaking partner and I lead weekend prayer retreats for women. It has become a very special subject to me, and one that can be life-changing.
FR: Describe what you believe the role of writing in religion is.
DN: In John 1, Christ is presented as the "Word" of God, the tangle expression of His love. Today, those of us who are writing to glorify and honor God are making known the expression of His love in a tangible way through our own words (which we pray are God-breathed). I believe that in our writing we are reflecting the life-changing truths, the saving nature, of this Word who was made flesh and dwelled among us.
FR: Tell us about one or more of your favorite encounters with readers.
DN: I love getting reader letters! My readers range from nine to ninety-plus. One of my favorites was from a little girl who'd read COME, MY LITTLE ANGEL and drew a picture of the main character with crayons. I still have it up in my office. The most heartfelt are from readers whose lives turned around because of some nugget of truth that settled into their hearts. (And it's by God's grace such things happen, not because of me.)
FR: Would you share a story about someone you've brought to Christ or share how your writing has helped someone?
DN: I've received letters through the years from women who've related how they were drawn closer to Christ by reading my books. I've seen commitments made by women who've attended weekend retreats that I've led. I've also been privileged to see the expectant expressions on faces, the weeping, during tender scenes portraying God's truths during the stage play adapted from COME, MY LITTLE ANGEL. But I believe that if any of these individuals came to Christ for the first time or gave Him their hearts in a renewed commitment, it wasn't me who brought them. The Holy Spirit prepared their hearts, and God did the rest. If my words did anything to nudge someone toward Him, it was only because I was His willing instrument.
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