This week, we’re giving away THREE copies of my sweet friend, Rebekah Lyons‘ new book Freefall to Fly: A Breathtaking Journey Toward a Life of Meaning. Rebekah is the wife to Gabe Lyons, co-founder of Q Ideas, and mother of three adorable kiddos.
Everyone has to make a leap–of hope, of courage, of life. In Freefall, Rebekah wants to make sure that nothing–anxiety, despair, depression, or fear–holds you back. She shares candid and powerful stories from her own life with courageous honesty. By the time you finish reading, you won’t be able to resist the opportunity to fly into the fullness of life.
I recently had the chance to ask Rebekah a few questions about her new book, Freefall to Fly:
Margaret: For readers who aren’t familiar with Freefall to Fly, what is main idea?
Rebekah: Freefall to Fly begins with my crash and burn upon moving to New York City from the suburbs of Atlanta.
Halfway into my thirties, a restlessness began to stir the depths of my heart. An unwavering angst kept asking if I was living the life God intended. The days Rebekah established were predictable and safe. Controlled and planned. Yet as each month passed and the years rolled by, a small part of my spirit began to die. My life consisted of little more than maintaining the earthly treasure I’d been storing up. I yearned to cast it all off, to run fast toward a life wild and free.
Armed with eager idealism, I set off with my husband, three children, two toy poodles and a minivan. The months that followed became more than I could bear. The city broke my will in numerous ways, most notably crippling panic attacks and depression. While I longed to return to the safety of my old life, God held me there. Almost audibly He met me with a promise, Stay in the freefall. For only then will you find rescue.
I often tell people I came to New York searching for meaning, but instead I found surrender. And today, I’m learning that meaning follows surrender.
M: Why did you write Freefall?
R: If we were sharing a coffee and you asked this question, tears would well and we’d share an awkward silence because that’s how I roll. Then I’d say, “I wrote this book for women who are lost and yearning for purpose. Further, I wrote this for women who’ve stopped looking, believing they will never really change.”
Depression enters when we’ve lost hope for the future. When we no longer imagine a life that is free. Perhaps we’ve been burdened so long, we no longer recognize the weight we carry. Almost 1 in 4 American women are taking medication for some form of anxiety or depression, trying to cope with life. We numb to stay “normal.”
M: What’s the greatest compliment you’ve received on Freefall so far?
R: A reviewer told me this week on Facebook that she hasn’t read a book this inspiring since Francis Chan’s Crazy Love. Overwhelmed by God’s insane sense of humor, that’s a high that I’ve been riding for a couple of days. 🙂
M: What were the biggest challenges or struggles during the writing process?
R: On the New Years Eve of 2012, dear friends gathered around a table for our annual tradition of naming the prior year in a single word. When my turn came, “rescue” rolled off my tongue without a moments notice. As inquiring faces gazed back, I recounted what God had done over the past eighteen months. When the new year dawned, I knew I must write His story of redemption, while it was still fresh.
So I did. It was an excruciating season, cathartic and lonely, but one that could not be avoided.
But as the words turned to pages, and pages to chapters, my heart healed one word at a time.
Rebekah is offering three extra-special, hand selected gifts to anyone who purchases a copy of Freefall. Learn more at RebekahLyons.com.
We’re giving away THREE copies of Freefall to Fly on the blog this week. To win, leave a comment on this original blog post at MargaretFeinberg.com. The winners will be selected and notified on Friday.
Congratulations to the Winners: Jeannie S, DeAnna Haugh, K.J. Snoes
What’s holding you back from taking a leap of faith in your life?
