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| Sarah Young | |
Sarah Young, author of Jesus Calling, has died. She was 77.
Originally published in 2004, Jesus Calling: Enjoying Peace in His Presence is a 365-day devotional featuring Scripture and personal reflections, and has sold more than 45 million copies in 35 languages, according to HarperCollins Christian Publishing.
Mark Schoenwald, president and CEO of HarperCollins Christian Publishing, said, "It has been a joy and an honor to have Sarah Young as part of our publishing family. Sarah was a remarkable woman who deeply loved God. Her words have resonated with people from all walks of life, and the global impact of her work is unparalleled."
Laura Minchew, senior v-p and group publisher of the Children's and Gift Book Group at HarperCollins Christian Publishing, added: "Sarah was a dear friend who will be deeply missed. Through nearly 20 years of publishing with Sarah, I had a firsthand seat at seeing millions of lives changed through the Jesus Calling books. Her books have met people in their darkest hours, taught children about Jesus, and changed lives for eternity. Knowing Sarah professionally and personally has been the privilege of a lifetime."
Christianity Today wrote: "The wife of a Presbyterian Church in America (PCA) missionary to Japanese people, Young suffered from Lyme disease and other chronic illnesses that sometimes forced her to stay in her room for 20 hours a day. In her isolation, she started to practice 'listening prayer' and journaling what she felt the Spirit tell her.
" 'Messages began to flow... and I bought a special notebook to record these words,' Young later wrote. 'I have continued to receive personal messages from God as I meditate on Him.'
"A few pages from her journal found their way to a women's prayer group in Nashville in the early 2000s. One of the women shared them with her husband, who was vice president of marketing at Integrity Publishers, and Integrity asked Young if she could write one message from God to the reader for every day of the year. She agreed, and they published Jesus Calling in 2004." The company was absorbed by Thomas Nelson, which was bought by HarperCollins in 2011.