Acknowledgments
Acknowledgments
In my first book, Celebration of Discipline, I wrote, “Books are best written in community.” I had no idea! The community now surrounding me is so much deeper and broader . . . I could never have imagined it. I cannot begin to express my debt to so many, both those living today and those who have passed through the Valley of the Shadow. But I will express gratitude where I can.
When I sought to imagine an authentic embodiment of the virtue of humility my mind took me way, way back to Bill and Irene Cathers. For many years Bill and Irene served Christ faithfully in Ecuador. Bill was the one who many years ago prayed for me, declaring prophetically, “I pray for the hands of a writer.” Bill and Irene gave me a sustaining picture of humility in everyday life. I thank them.
I want to say a hearty thank you to Carolynn Foster, who stood by me all through my journal notations and reading and research, increasingly wondering with me if perhaps these ideas need to see the light of day in a book.
A special thank you goes to Nathan Foster. On numerous hikes in the Rockies we would discuss and debate and dream together, always seeking a clearer vision of “humility in daily life.”
Then I want to express my thanks to a faithful group of readers who walked with me through the writing, offering counsel and insight: Mimi Dixon, Bob Fryling, Brenda Quinn, Lar Russell, and Pat Russell.
A large part of my rewrite work occurred down our country road five miles or so at Adriana’s Restaurant. Adriana would graciously give me a quiet corner spot and always keep the coffee coming. So to Adriana and her staff—¡mil gracias!
Early in my writing career I might have concentrated on a writing project ten, twelve, sometimes fourteen hours straight. Now, in my eighties, I find my brain fried after only a few hours of concentration. So, once it became clear that this task was to become more than personal journal notations, I was concerned about how I might manage the research and copyediting and social media needed today for producing and launching a book. Right then three “superheroes” came to my aid.
Because I began this task simply by jotting observations in a journal, I had not taken the care to document sources for quotations. I mean, who footnotes observations in a journal? Of course, I had all the books, but finding so many obscure statements in so many books . . . ugh. It was here that Melody Leeper, a research person par excellence, came to my rescue. I would work with her for a few hours, whereupon my brain would be fried. But Melody kept at it ten, twelve, perhaps fourteen hours straight—“Sherlock Holmes sleuthing,” she calls it. In the end she found every single reference. I thank her.
Next, if a book is to emerge, extensive work must proceed with a copyeditor. I cringed at the thought of such a myriad of technical details. Here my long-time friend and literary agent Kathy Helmers stepped in. Years ago Kathy and I had together written Life With God so she knew my writing style right down to the details of syntax. Graciously, Kathy volunteered to work with the copyeditor making the numerous decisions needed to produce a well-written book. I thank her.
Then, of course, a book project needs to find its way out into the public. In our day this demands extensive use of various online platforms. These are wonderful means of communication but I had some time ago made a decision not to engage in these forms of technology so I could focus my energies elsewhere. So Brian Morykon, director of communications for Renovaré, came to my rescue. Brian and the team at Renovaré have wonderfully agreed to help share widely the message of Learning Humility, and for this I thank them.
Finally, any substantive book project needs a strong publisher and a skilled editor. InterVarsity Press and Cindy Bunch, their divisional vice president and associate publisher, have fulfilled these roles wonderfully. Cindy oversees the Formatio line of books and has for years served as executive editor. Several years ago we started out on a project on a different subject, but after a couple years of researching forty-plus books on that topic I decided I had nothing of value to add. So, Cindy waited . . . and waited . . . and waited. And now, here we have Learning Humility: A Year of Searching for a Vanishing Virtue. I thank Cindy for waiting.