Two years ago, twelve-year-old Kimmy Beckett’s best friend betrayed her. But even though it hurt to lose a friend, at least she had her beloved dog, Bo. Bo never made fun of her for having one hand. Bo was trustworthy. Bo would never betray her.
But then, Bo disappeared.
Since then, Kimmy has come to know loneliness quite well.
That’s where my debut middle grade novel, Road Trip Rescue, begins. Road Trip Rescue is written for kids ages eight to twelve, but I think we can all relate to the feelings of loneliness Kimmy experiences in the story.
Have you ever been in a room filled with people and still felt alone?
Have someone else’s words ever caused an ache of loneliness in your chest?
Have you ever wondered if anyone sees and knows the real you?
Sometimes, like Kimmy, our feelings of loneliness might be enhanced by a loss or betrayal we’ve experienced. When we lose a person we love—in any capacity—we are left with a fresh wound in our hearts.
Loneliness hurts. God created us to live in community with each other. We aren’t meant to feel like we’re on our own.
But we have a choice.
We can dwell in our feelings of loneliness. We can let ourselves believe that we are alone.
Or, we can look to our Creator, the One who knows us better than we know ourselves, and listen to the truth of his Word.
One of my favorite Bible verses is Zephaniah 3:17: “The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing.”
We are not alone. The Mighty Warrior is with us.
In the words of Moses to the Israelites in Deuteronomy 31:6, “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.”
We are not alone. The Lord our God is with us.
And in Matthew 28:20, Jesus himself promises his disciples, “And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
We are not alone. Jesus is with us.
Always.
When we are confident in the truth of God’s constant presence in our lives, we can know that we are not alone, and that we never have been—regardless of our circumstances. This doesn’t mean losses don’t hurt. We live in a broken world, and we will still experience pain.
But knowing that we aren’t alone in the midst of the brokenness can ease the sting of loneliness—especially with the Creator of the universe as our companion.
Twelve-year-old Kimmy trusts dogs more than people. After all, her dog Bo never made fun of her for having one hand. But two years ago, Bo disappeared.
When Kimmy stumbles across a magazine photo of a dog in upstate New York that looks just like Bo, she must find him. Years stand between Kimmy and a driver’s license, and her parents seem oddly unsupportive. So, when pink-haired, adventure-hungry Aunt Skylar agrees to a road trip with a stop in the Adirondacks, Kimmy jumps at the chance to bring her furry family member home.
But Aunt Skylar’s idea of a road trip isn’t the rescue mission Kimmy had in mind.
Road Trip Rescue is available for preorder on Kickstarter from June 20 to July 6. Back the campaign for fun rewards, to read the book early, and to buy the book directly from the author!
The book will launch on Amazon and other retailers in October.
Becca Wierwille writes stories to show kids they are wonderfully created for the unique adventures in their lives. Born with only half of her right arm, she aims to help others find beauty in what makes them extraordinary. Mom by day and novelist by relatively early in the morning, she wishes she could eat peach pie as often as most writers drink coffee. Despite her dreams of sandy beaches and mountain peaks, she loves living in Pennsylvania with her family. Road Trip Rescue is Becca’s debut novel. You can visit her online at beccawierwille.com or follow her on social media @beccawierwille. Sign up for her email newsletter to receive free resources and monthly encouragement.