Today we talk about My broken mug, a book by Beatrice Lotter published with our publishing house Europe Books.
Europe Books had the pleasure of interviewing the author, Beatrice Lotter, to get to know her better, when she decided to write about her personal story, as well as how she felt by reading her life on the pages of her book My broken mug.
Below you can find our interview. Take a seat and enjoy your reading!!!
- When did you decide to write your personal story?
The writing of my story started when my daughter gave me a journal at the end of 1999 as a Christmas gift. At that stage I was going through an emotional down as my marriage of 21 years was on the end. She wrote in Afrikaans, I’m going to translate in English: “Hope this New Millennium will bring all mum’s wishes to fulfilment and that mum should experience lots of joy and happiness. May the Lord give mum joy and happiness all the days of your life”. 25 Dec 1999. I’ve never before kept a journal, and that was the start of writing all my thoughts and emotions down. Later on, I would have realized how much hurt and pain was written down in this beautiful Christmas gift with Bible Scriptures on each page. And as Melanie wrote here, the Lord really answered me through the daily Scripts that was printed on the bottom of every page. Later on, I would have started to right about my life, and as the truth about my existence was revealed in my grade 10 year, and my life just kept on revealing the hurt and lies, I started to write down as the Lord started to speak His Word in my heart. I’ve started to write about His plan for my life, instead of the lies that I was unwanted by my biological parents, and later on rejected by my (step)father. God new everything about my life even before the foundation of the earth, as He explained it in Psalm 139. So, the writing becomes an escape route, and later on healing to my own brokenness.
- What sensations did you feel by ‘reading’ your life on the pages of your book?
This is quite strange though, it was as if I was reading someone else’s story and not my own. I recognized all the characters, and the “story” was very familiar to me, but it didn’t affect me negatively emotional at all. Instead, I read it in a rather critic manner, as if I was “proof reading” someone else’s story. I realized that by going through the hurt and the trauma of every now and then getting some more hurtful information regarding my existence, I’ve been healed long before the writing started. It is at the moment for me a huge experience by knowing that my story is one of many, and may help a lot of people that went through similar situations. Maybe not exactly the same as mine, but rejection in whatever form is always a hurting one. As long as we know that everyone of us has a purpose and is part of God’s bigger plan for each one of us, we are “more than conquerors through Christ” and are able to overcome any bad and hurtful situation.
- What would you like to hear from your readers?
For me it would be rewarding to know that my story is helping someone else in understanding the attacks/ assessments on our lives. While going through the recovery after two unsuccessful marriages, I’ve wrote a note: “Handbook of Live”, also included in the Book. We all are born in a broken world, but nobody has a handbook to teach you what to do and what not. As I’ve written my story, and everything I’ve experienced, I hope this would give someone a little bit of a guideline of what our parents did and the effects they have on us, and then again the effect of what we are doing to our children and the effect of that. Instead of learning in a Biblical way, certain guidelines, which is very clear of praying over situations, ask the Lord’s guidance over certain situations. We are still flesh and human, but if we ask the Lord in all His ways, He will guide us. I also always say, “nothing comes to God as a surprise, He knew everything in advance.” (Psalm 139) Yet, for every TEST there is a TESTIMONY, as I’ve experienced through my own life, and as I say, hopefully someone else will see that their story can also help another person. We are living in a broken world, and I cannot help a person going through cancer at the moment, or any other form of trauma, but I for sure can tell someone how I overcome my bad self-esteem I had for years, only by the rejection of my parents. I’ve taken up my Name and authority in Christ and knows exactly who I am today.
- How did you choose the title of your book?
This was quite easy. As the note of my Broken Mug explains. I’ve received this beautiful mug while I was still a very small child by one of my father’s family members, his cousin, who stayed in the same building as me and my parents at that stage. It was given to me, if I still remember correctly, with an Easter egg in it. I don’t know at what stage I would get hold of this mug, but I cherished it through all the moving around during the past few years. One day I received a note on my kitchen top in my apartment here in Pretoria, South Africa: “Mam, sorry” neatly underneath the broken mug. I was cross, then heart broken, then cross again. I’ve tried to fix this mug with glue, but soon realized that I don’t have all the pieces. I’ve written a note to my cleaning lady, and ask her to look for the other pieces, as they were missing. The next day I just got a note to say “sorry mam, I didn’t find any other pieces”. So, I’ve decided to start putting this mug together. And as I was putting glue on the pieces and putting them together, the Lord started speaking to me about my broken heart. He showed me, just as I was putting my mug together again, He was busy putting me together again. (the note of My Broken mug is included in my book). Although there are a few parts missing of my Broken Mug, it is still a mug. The same with me, although I’ve been through some heartaches, and lost something of myself through the years, I’m still me. Created to be useful in God’s Kingdom.
- Are you planning to write more books?
Yes, for sure. I already have enough material for more books, as my story didn’t stop after I took up my true identity. I’ve been on a journey for the past 14-15 years, that is humbling but also reveals God’s plan with my life, and for that matter will also giving insight in most other people’s life about God’s calling on your life. By taking my name back, not changed it, opened up doors for me in Ministry, and that’s when I realized that every one of us have a very specific purpose in life, and a responsibility to live your life to the full. Every one of us is part of the bigger picture, and if you don’t live your life to the full, you are losing precious time which could make a huge impact on the world around you.
Europe Books thanks the author Beatrice Lotter once again for taking the time and answering our questions. We are really pleased to have walked alongside her on the editorial path that led to the publication of her book My broken mug. We wish her the best of luck for her future works.
To you, my dear reader, since we are not born with a manual that teaches us what is right and what is wrong, I wish this book will support you and leave you food for thought on how to improve your everyday life, from the simplest things to the more complex ones.
So, my dear reader, all I have to say is to enjoy this supportive and inspirational reading!
Your editor!