‘God has called us’: Karen Kingsbury on the power of ‘God’s grace’ and a ‘deep relationship’ with the Lord
Authors frequently get asked where the inspiration came from for their latest story. For some, it was something they experienced in their own life that was so unique and interesting they felt it needed to be shared with a larger audience.
For others, perhaps a flair of creativity allowed them to conjure up a story from their imagination. For New York Times bestselling author Karen Kingsbury, the idea for her latest project came from a random encounter she had on an airplane.
The inspiration for her new, six-episode Pure Flix mini-series, “A Thousand Tomorrows” — based on her novel of the same name — came when she found herself sitting beside a professional bull rider on a cross-country flight.
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He not only educated her about the sport, but also divulged the precarious nature of his rough-and-tumble profession — one he said could destroy his life in an instant.
“He was decked out in his gear,” Kingsbury told the Crossmap Podcast. “And I ended up just kind of talking to him and interviewing him about what that was like, and how could you get on a bull and get through those eight seconds? It was so fascinating. And when I got off the plane, it was like the Lord said, ‘There’s your guy. You have to write about a bull rider.’”
Listen to Kingsbury reveal the roots of the story:
Thus the seeds for an exciting, new writing project were planted. In what would eventually become a three-book series, “A Thousand Tomorrows” is about Cody Gunnar, a nationally-known bull rider who stands apart from his peers, mainly because he has rejected everything about his past – family, friends, and anything not associated with the rodeo.
But then Ali Daniels, a fellow rodeo competitor, enters his life. Together, they discover that God only knows how many tomorrows they will have together.
“God has called us to this deep relationship with Him through a day-by-day walk. Don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself,” Kingsbury explains. “But, in this day, let go of the rage, the bitterness, the unforgiveness, and embrace the love that He has right in front of you. We are being called to let go of those things that divide us, go above it with God’s grace, and find love again because you don’t get to do it over.”
Kingsbury and her writing collaborator son, Tyler Russell, joined Crossmap to talk about the process of adapting a novel into a television series and the vital importance of sacrifice and forgiveness in our lives. Listen as Karen and Tyler share that, ultimately, life is all about being transparent, vulnerable, and open to God’s leading.
