Part 9–Other Characters—The Voice of God Character

One of the wonderful features of inspirational fiction is for the reader to experience “the Voice of God.” What does that mean exactly? I suppose there are those stories with the “burning bush” moment. An audible Voice that imparts a key message to the character. But, unless we’re writing Biblical fiction, it’s probably not common.

Most stories of the inspirational genre have the wise friend or mentor. Someone who has been there and done that, or one who is in tune with God and well-versed (pun intended) with Scriptures. This person can be bold or meek, but to be really effective they must be humble and compassionate.

Meet Olivia

In Holding Hands, that character is Olivia Lambert. I love Olivia. She’s based on a friend of mine that I respect very much. My friend has a gentle, but firm manner when it comes to making an important point about God’s character. I learned a lot from her.

Olivia, an emergency room nurse, is wife to Obadiah, a police officer, and mother to twin teenagers, Caleb and Joshua. I guess I can say the whole Lambert family is loosely based on my friend and her family.

Having wise people in our life is so important, and Elena and Micah need it especially.

There are those who have the gift of wisdom and those who are wise because of experience and perseverance in God’s word. Olivia is a bit of both. She comes from a believing, stable family. Her husband was not. She understands that people have to take the journey God has given them. Everyone needs that kind of friend. Discerning, but wise enough to encourage the person to seek the Lord for answers on their own.

Olivia is not perfect. She has a bit of a biting tongue. And don’t get her riled up. But, you’ll love her. I sure do.

Next week: Part 10, Backstory