Guest Blog with Laurie Alice Eakes - Day One

Sacrifice

Laurie Alice Eakes at a lighthouse.

As I mentioned in my May post on the New jersey historical series, New Jersey doesn’t appeal to many people. The state, however, holds a special place in my heart. One of the many lessons I learned through my association with New Jersey is the power of sacrifice.

My first job out of college was in New Jersey for the U.S. office of Operation Mobilization, an international mission. We were called Send the Light, and here I witness sacrifice first-hand. Men and women with numerous talents and brilliant minds, sacrificed high-paying jobs to take education and the Gospel around the world. Many sacrificed their safety to take the word of Jesus to countries where preaching the Gospel could get them jailed or worse.

Many years later, I found myself in New Jersey again, this time in Morristown at The Seeing Eye. Scores of men, women, and children donate their time and money each year to raising puppies to become Seeing Eye dogs. They love and socialize these special animals, knowing all the while they have to give them up in a year.

Thus, with these experiences behind me, when I worked on a proposal for a series for Heartsong, New Jersey seemed like the natural choice. And so did the theme of sacrifice that emerged in the creation of Marigold and Gordon’s lives in The Newcomer, sacrifice of personal dreams for the sake of others, sacrifice of self-centeredness for a better relationship with God.

It is, of course, a love story between Gordon and Marigold and more than the central romance—love for family, love for friends, love for strangers who become more than strangers in their lives.

After all, the reason why I write is because of the ultimate sacrifice—the price Jesus paid.

Question of the day: Have you ever been to New Jersey?