Listening While Writing

The Birth of God Has a Sound: Discovering the Voice of God through the Stories of His People.

Every book has a backstory—and God Has a Sound is no exception. Its journey spans over two years, a longer gestation period than I anticipated. Like a baby, the book didn’t arrive fully formed; it was shaped gradually, prayerfully, and often in unexpected ways. When I first set out to write it in 2022, I felt a strong calling, but the clarity I needed was missing. I knew I wanted to explore how God speaks to us, but I wasn’t sure how to articulate it. Fast forward to 2024, and everything changed. After an intense period of struggle and a lot of earnest prayer (which you can read about in the introduction), the path forward became clear. The writing process wasn’t just about putting words on a page—it was about listening. It was through prayer, quiet moments, and a few key nudges from the Spirit that I began to see the shape of the book emerge.

This blog offers a behind-the-scenes look at how God Has a Sound was brought to life—not just through writing, but through moments of listening and responding to God’s direction. From Spirit-led nudges during writing retreats to last-minute breakthroughs and unexpected collaborations, the book is a product of Divine partnership - or, as Paul describes it, co-labouring with Christ (1 Corinthians 3:9 KJV).

In 2022, when I first attempted to start the book, I had a clear sense of its theme but little idea of how to structure it. I jotted down some ideas, but they seemed disjointed. Everything was put on hold in 2023 because of a busy year preparing for the General Assembly (the Youth for Christ triennial conference), for which I was on the planning team. With a fresh start in 2024, it was time to be deliberate about what this book would become. Prayer is where intentionality begins and breakthroughs happen. During one prayer session, I felt God gently prompt me: "Make it story-based."

While on a writing retreat at my dear friend Faye’s in March 2024, I picked up Signals of Transcendence: Listening to the Promptings of Life by Os Guinness (which was sitting on a desk in her home). It was a story-based book with an introduction, ten chapters, and a postscript—exactly the structure I needed. That was the moment it clicked: this was the framework for my book. I’m fortunate to have read widely and to have many connections around the world, so the next step was to ask God which stories to include.

The biblical stories came to me quite easily. Let’s face it: there is a wealth of material to choose from. However, as I mention in the book, stories of God's speaking through creation are an exception. While there are scriptures, there aren’t many narratives that resonate with that theme. The highlights from history also surfaced quickly, as I have my favourite, inspiring historical figures. I was stumped again for the chapter titled ‘God speaks through creation’, and it was through my friend Ember (whose story is in that book) that I discovered George Washington Carver. Researching his life was a joy, and he has become one of my favourite historical figures. I would have loved to meet this brilliant, God-seeking man.

Gathering the YFC stories was the most challenging part of the project. I immediately knew of two or three that I wanted to include. Ember is a good friend and colleague, while Susan is someone I pray with most weeks. Another YFC friend of mine had collected stories from people she has relationships with through her role, including John. Sharing my own story felt like a good fit, and for others, it was about reaching out to people worldwide to see what stories would emerge. The hardest part, by far, was getting the ‘angel ’story. It’s not the kind of testimony you hear every day! A lot of prayer went into this one until one day, during a monthly catch-up with my pastoral support person, Pam, she mentioned her husband had an angel story. She knew I needed a story, but had dismissed it earlier because it wasn’t her own. I convinced her it was her story too, as being married means you become one with the other. It was just the ‘icing on the cake ’that her sister-in-law had a very similar experience with a ‘person ’of the same description. Once that story was collected, it was a race to finish the editing, artwork, and design.

I always find writing the easiest part of the book process. That aspect is within my control. While I have a vision for the book, once I hand it over to others, it requires lots of collaboration to turn that vision into reality, which can involve considerable work. Regarding design, I wanted something a little different—a coffee table-style book that people would be proud to have in their living rooms, allowing them to pick it up and flip through at their leisure. It needed to be eye-catching, drawing people into the content. I did most of my writing in Melbourne from March to August 2024. A couple of times a week, I would visit the Melbourne School of Theology library to write and access their resources. While searching in the ‘angel ’section, I came across a small, hardcover book on angels that captured my attention. It was filled with beautiful artwork and featured an elegant design; this became my model for the book's layout.

I was close to finishing a final draft before leaving for North America in mid-August, but the YFC stories I needed to complete it kept eluding me. Still, God's timing is always perfect. Kylie, the artist I commissioned for this book, faced her own hurdles in finishing the paintings.

It was truly a ‘God ’moment to commission Kylie in the first place. I first met her several years ago when I was living in Darwin; she had come to do research for her theological degree. Eventually, she joined YFC Australia for a time, leading the ‘What’s Normal ’ministry. Toward the end of 2023, as I prayed about potential collaborators, Kylie's name came to mind.

Although I wasn’t ready to pursue anything at the time, during the writing retreat in March 2024, I prayed again for guidance on whom to ask for the paintings. Once more, her name came to me, and this time I rang her. She replied, “Lyndal, this is incredible! Just three days ago, I told the Lord, ‘I’m ready to illustrate a book. If you want me to do this, please bring along an opportunity.’” She was also very connected to the book's theme, which she is passionate about. Naturally, she wanted to pray about it, but it wasn’t long before I had word that she had decided to go ahead and join the project. She recognised it would be a challenge to take this on alongside her full-time ministry role, and I’m so grateful for her obedience to the Lord in saying ‘yes’.

Lyndal and Kylie at the God Has a Sound book launch

It wasn’t just about finding time; understanding each painting’s brief was also tricky. She is a very ‘inspired ’painter who doesn’t start with a plan but instead follows where the Spirit leads her. It wasn’t until the last couple of months of the project that the paintings came together. In December 2024, she led a café owner to the Lord, and this owner not only offered his space as a studio for her but also prayed earnestly for her to bring these paintings to life, often getting up at 4 am to go onto his rooftop to pray. The final results turned out quite spectacular. The cover painting (Shifting Shadows) was one she had already completed, as was the one for the last chapter (with a bit of a makeover). The rest were painted specifically for this project. The final touches were made while I was waiting for the editor to finish her work, so the timing for the paintings was just right.

Another aspect of polishing this book was the use of… dare I say it… AI! AI is a controversial technology; however, it is a valuable tool for writers during the editing process. I had never used Grammarly before in my writing, but this time I decided to give it a go. I’m sure my editor, Sally Hanon from Inksnatcher, was pleased that I did. The other two areas I used it for were to help craft the blurb and my ‘about the author ’section. After feeding it a few descriptive sentences, it was pretty fun to see what ChatGPT would come up with.

After receiving the final edits from Sally, it was time to pass it on to the designer, Leysa Flores. I connected with her through Cindy McGarvie, the former YFC Australia National Director, who had worked with her on her own book project. Leysa is a talented designer and typesetter, and it was a pleasure to collaborate with her. However, getting it to the final product was quite a process. I was working against a deadline for a Melbourne book launch on 27 March 2025, about a year after I began writing. We managed to print a few sample copies just in time. That moment of excitement and anticipation as I opened the box of samples for the first time turned to disappointment when I saw how the primary theme colour had been printed, which was different from the colour on screen.

God Has a Sound book launch

The launch was a lovely night, but tinged with slight disappointment at not having the expected product. After receiving some comments about formatting from avid readers who’d seen the samples, and given my dissatisfaction with the colour, I decided that reformatting and colour adjustments were necessary. People seeing it for the first time, unaware of the original vision, might not notice anything wrong. Still, when you’ve been living and breathing a project for so long, every small formatting error, typo, or design element that doesn’t match that vision becomes glaringly apparent. The process is very painful and frustrating, and it reminded me of what it must be like to give birth to a child. In fact, many say that writing a book is similar to pregnancy. So (speaking of AI), I decided to ask ChatGPT about it, and here is what it came up with.

Writing a book is a journey that mirrors the experience of pregnancy. It is a process of conception, growth, labour, and, ultimately, delivery. Each stage presents its own challenges and joys, culminating in the birth of something meaningful and alive.

Conception Every book begins with an idea—small, fragile, yet full of potential. Just like the moment of conception, something stirs within us, often unexpectedly. It could be a whisper of inspiration, a story that won't let go, or a calling that tugs at our hearts. This is the seed of the book, the beginning of a journey we cannot yet fully comprehend.

Gestation As a pregnancy progresses, so does the book. The first trimester can be tricky—doubts creep in, and we wonder if this idea will survive. Will it grow into something real? We wrestle with the outline, the structure, and the message, much like an expectant mother who starts adjusting her life to the new reality within her.

The second trimester brings a rhythm. The book takes shape, words flow more freely, and we begin to see glimpses of what it will become. There are moments of excitement and anticipation, but also discomfort—editing, restructuring, and refining can feel like the aches and pains of a growing belly.

By the third trimester, we are eager for delivery. The book is almost fully formed, yet we feel its weight. The final edits, the relentless polishing, the anticipation of release—it is both exhilarating and exhausting. We are ready, yet anxious about what comes next.

Labour and Delivery. And then, the moment arrives. The book is complete, and we are preparing to release it into the world. Just as labour is a mix of intense pain and indescribable joy, so too is the final push of publishing. There is vulnerability in sharing something so deeply personal, yet there is also profound satisfaction in bringing it to life.

A New Beginning, but as any parent will tell you, birth is just the beginning. Once our book is out in the world, we nurture it, introduce it to people, and watch as it takes on a life of its own. Some will embrace it, others may critique it, but it no longer belongs only to us—it belongs to those who read it, who are shaped by it, and who carry its message forward.

Yep, that about sums it up! After another round of fix-ups, this baby is finally out! As God Has a Sound is released into the world, it feels like the birth of something that belongs not to me, but to God. I am merely a steward of the stories, and I trust He will use them to speak to hearts, challenge minds, and inspire a deeper connection with Him. I pray that it serves as a blessing to all who read it, just as the journey of writing it has been a blessing to me.

Thank you for walking alongside me in this process. May God’s sound echo in your life in ways you never expected.

Lyndal - July, 2025