Once Journey to the Well was completed, I wondered who I should write about next. The Lord had a way of showing me my next subject. At a friend’s Bible study they were talking about Martha and I felt in my spirit that she was my next “heroine.” I read everything the Bible had to say about Martha and Mary over and over until I felt I had a grasp of her character. I needed to find out why she was head of a household and why neither she nor Mary were married. It was an unusual situation for her day. Also, what was Lazarus like and what part did he take in the household? It appeared he was the youngest and so did he, as the only male, become head of the household? How did Martha and Mary meet Jesus in the first place? How often did He come there? How did Lazarus become ill and after the monumental incident of being raised from the dead, what happened? The Jewish leaders wanted to kill Jesus and also Lazarus. Did he have to flee? Where were Martha and Mary when Jesus was crucified and the earthquake happened? There were many other questions that needed to be addressed and that is the joy of research. One learns a great deal. It’s my favorite part of writing the book. Other than the gaff about using potato latkes, the book was well received.
Next: Tackling a controversial character and a very different portrayal!
Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay
