God wrote the story; I just held the pen

By Tiwana Dumpson
Guest columnist

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” — Jeremiah 29:11.
If someone had told me years ago I would one day be an author, I would have smiled politely but never believed it. Writing wasn’t on my bucket list, and publishing a book seemed like something other people did—people with degrees in literature or years of experience. But life has a way of surprising us.
Today, I hold “Broken for Purpose” in my hands, and every time I see the cover, I’m reminded God can take the most unexpected chapters of our lives and use them for His glory. This book wasn’t born from a place of strength; it was born from brokenness. Yet through brokenness, God revealed a greater purpose.
The idea for “Broken for Purpose” first came to me years ago, long before I ever thought about writing a book. At that time, I was walking through so many problems in my life I didn’t fully understand what God was showing me. I didn’t realize then He had not only given me a reason for what I was going through, but also placed a book title in my heart.
It wasn’t until 2021, after a surgery left me weak and struggling to recover, that God reminded me of those words again. In that season of pain and hardship, when I questioned my worth, my future and even my ability to keep going, God whispered once more: “broken for purpose.” This time, the meaning became clear. Those words were not just a title—they were a lifeline, proof even in my brokenness, God wasn’t finished with me, and my pain could be used to encourage someone else.
When I finally sat down to write the first draft, I didn’t feel ready. My mind was filled with doubts: “What if I'm not good enough?” “What if no one cares about my story?” Still, I opened my laptop and began typing. Some days, the words poured out like a flood. Other days, I could only manage a single sentence. But every word mattered. Each line became a small step of healing, not just for the book, but for me personally. Writing taught me obedience is more important than confidence. I didn’t need to have it all figured out—I just needed to trust God would guide me.
Then came the editing process, which turned out to be both humbling and rewarding. Editing meant facing the flaws in my work, the rough edges that needed to be smoothed. At first, it was frustrating to cut out pieces I had worked so hard on, but I soon realized editing was a lot like life. Just as my manuscript needed refining, so do we. God takes our messy, unpolished chapters and patiently reshapes them into something better. In the same way that editors refine words on a page, God edits the