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A Call To Action Through Books

by | Thu, Feb 2 2023

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Penny Reeve is the author of several books for Children and Young Adults. But her goal is to get her readers to go beyond just passively reading books. She challenges them to engage in the world and calls them to action. One topic that she’s passionate about is human trafficking, a topic she became painfully aware of while serving as a missionary in Nepal.

Penny recently joined Eric Skattebo on Real Faith to share the impact her faith has had on her life. Growing up with Missionary Parents, Penny loved reading stories from a very young age, and with the help of her mother, gave her heart to Jesus at just 7 years old.

‘I can remember asking my dad what a missionary was,’ says Penny. ‘He told me a missionary is someone who makes the word of God available to others, who invites them into the kingdom. Whether you’re a doctor, a preacher, or a pilot, you can still do that because it’s God that makes a difference in people’s lives.’

Penny says that conversation impacted the way she started pursuing what she was going to do in life. It gave her a very early sense of wanting to make a difference in this world for God’s kingdom. When Penny got married and had a child of her own, she struggled to find good Christian content for children.

‘I was seeing a sanitised, childish sort of depiction of God,’ she says. ‘But children can handle the fact that God is amazing, and He is trustworthy. We don’t need to make everything playful. Playful can be great, but not at the cost of truth.’

Penny ended up writing four books herself, all with a profound message for children. ‘Basically each book looked at an animal factor,’ she says. ‘The books are comparing the characteristics of the animal with the characteristics of God. In God Made Something Strong, the elephant is strong, but God is stronger. God always comes out better.’

‘I thought I was going to change the world,’ says Penny. ‘But what I realised was that God was going to do the changing, and I was going to be a witness to it.’

Listen to Penny’s full interview on Real Faith below: