Priscilla Shirer – Reward Over Reluctance

CCM: That’s such a good story, but I feel like most parents would just stop at answering the question. Very few would ever sit down and compose a brand new story. Was there an impetus to actually take that step, or is that the way you are wired?
PS: No, writing is a discipline for me. Some people will write, and that’s me, and some people are writers and they’re made for writing. For me it’s a discipline that I’ve had to hone throughout the years. The impetus to put pen to paper in this regard is that I’m a home school mom. I really was looking for materials that my boys would want to read. Just getting them to read was my goal, especially for one of my sons who’s had a challenge with reading comprehension and desired to even attempt to dive into reading.

One night I was sitting with him, painstakingly trying to get through a book for school, and it was an adventure story. I will never forget this particular day, because it was the first time in a long time that I’d seen my boys even remotely interested in their reading lesson. As we read this mystery-adventure story, the mom part of me said, “I wish this was a book that also happened to have spiritual principles—that had adventure, that was epic, that had a narrative that would engage boys in particular, and girls as well—but also gave me an opportunity to have an organic conversation about spiritual things with my kids.”

That’s why I started writing any of this. I wanted to write chapters that my boy—and my other son, as well, who could take or leave reading altogether—would want to engage with. I wanted it to be filled with all these theological secrets that pique their interest so that they want to talk about spiritual things.

Shirer at Liberty University

CCM: As you hear from people who’ve read the books, do you speak with parents who found themselves in the same scenarios with their own children?
PS: Absolutely. One of the most encouraging notes, emails, and comments that we receive are from the moms or dads who say, “I’ve got a ten year-old who doesn’t like to read, but they can’t put this book down. Thank you.” Then they tell me the conversations they’ve had to have with their kids after, because the kids have some questions or because of our website. We have a button there that says “secrets” that parents or kids can click on and see in each chapter the theological secrets tucked into each story. That will hopefully help stimulate conversations based on what’s really behind those chapters.

CCM: What a great resource! You said earlier that you wanted to actually back out of the movie role. Does it feel like that’s happened in other ways too, where this has all come together outside of you?
PS: Absolutely, and let me tell you something: I’ve had to have a constant standing guard against intimidation, insecurity and fear. We all do when we find ourselves facing an opportunity for which we feel ill equipped or ill trained or we think of ten others who are so much more suited for the task. I would be so quick to talk myself out of stuff. But yes, most everything we’ve done in ministry—and I only say “most,” because I hate to put one-hundred percent on anything—are things that have just come to us. We’ve just been responsible with what’s in front of us to do and from that, another opportunity will blindside us and we’ll prayerfully consider whether this might be God’s direction for us.

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