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Sarah Young |
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Sarah Young, creator of Jesus Calling, was born in Tennessee and graduated from high school in Virginia. After receiving a B.A. in philosophy at Wellesley College, she obtained a Master's in child development at Tufts University, a Master's in Biblical studies and counseling from Covenant Theological Seminary in St. Louis, and a Master's in counseling from Georgia State University. During her post-graduate time at Tufts, Young, then a lapsed Christian, was deeply influenced by the work of evangelical theologian Francis Schaeffer. Later, when visiting an evangelical center in Switzerland, she had a spiritual awakening; that night, as Young put it, she "asked Him to forgive all my sins and [be] my Savior-God." She married a Christian missionary, Stephen Young; together they had two children and did missionary work in Japan and Australia and also lived in Georgia and finally in Tennessee. In Australia, Young set up a Christian counseling practice for women who had been sexually or spiritually abused, and around that time had another spiritual experience.
Throughout her adult life, Young battled various chronic health problems, including Lyme disease, melanoma, and vertigo. She died of leukemia on August 31, 2023, at age 77.
In the introduction to Jesus Calling, Young explains the origins of the book and gives a sense of why it has resonated with so many people. For many years before she wrote the book, she wrote in prayer journals in which "I did all the talking," she stated. But after a while she wanted more of a dialogue. "I wanted to hear what God might want to communicate to me on a given day. I decided to 'listen' with pen in hand, writing down whatever I 'heard' in my mind." She emphasized that what she heard was not inspired like scripture, but these moments helped her "grow closer to God."
This led to the devotionals in Jesus Calling. A good example of these is the one for January 1, which reads, "Come to Me with a teachable spirit, eager to be changed. A close walk with Me is a life of continual newness. Do not cling to old ways as you step into a new year. Instead, seek My Face with an open mind, knowing that your journey with Me involves being transformed by the renewing of your mind. As you focus your thoughts on Me, be aware that I am fully attentive to you. I see you with a steady eye because My attention span is infinite. I know and understand you completely; My thoughts embrace you in everlasting Love. I also know the plans I have for you: plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and future. Give yourself fully to this adventure of increasing attentiveness to My Presence."