[Tweet “Your mess is the platform for God’s masterpiece.”]

We live in a world where we project our best selves and often hide our true selves. While we try to hide our mess, God can take it and transform it into something beautiful, powerful and transformational.

Meet Kevin Bradford

Kevin Bradford is living proof of this truth. I met Kevin earlier this year through Twitter. He’s been a supporter of my writing and an encourager of the message I’m trying to get out in the world about overcoming fear and living with courage and hope. Earlier this fall, I had a chance to read his new book, Resole, and I was moved by his vulnerability and transparency. Kevin has been through some dark seasons and shares a process he uses every day to process the good and bad of life for redemptive purposes. At the end of this post, I’ll share how you can get a copy of Resole for yourself!

SS: Kevin, thanks so much for sharing this time today! I’m really excited to be introducing my readers to you. In your new book, Resole, you share with a ton of vunerability. What kind of fears did you face when writing the book?

KB: Thanks Scott. A lot of my fear with this book has been what others will think of me. When you air out your dirty laundry, you always have to wonder how hard you’ll be judged. I serve in various leadership capacities and I wonder how those I lead will view me after reading what I’ve shared. And I worry about the day my kids read the book. What will they think of me? To sum it up: my greatest fear has been rejection and judgment from others.

SS: I wrote my first ebook earlier this year. I’m interested in learning about your experience. What was the hardest part of writing your first book?

KB: One of the most difficult parts of the process was fighting through the typical writing obstacles, like writer’s block, fatigue, and general desires to do something else. I had to stay disciplined to keep myself on track, which meant I set daily word count goals. If I’ve learned one thing about myself over the years is I work best on a deadline. Setting goals and deadlines kept me pushing forward even when I wanted to quit.

SS: Like many writers, it sounds like you like to have written far more than you like to write! What did you learn about fear and courage along the way?

KB: I learned that what other people think doesn’t really matter a majority of the time. This mentality is easier said than done, but it’s incredibly important. Multiple times throughout writing Resole, I found myself continually going back to the fact that God developed this book inside me over a period of years and He also released me to write it in January. Remembering these two crucial facts gave me the courage to press on because it reminded me that God cares about what I’m doing even more than I do.

[Tweet “What other people think doesn’t really matter a majority of the time. @kevinpbradford”]

The Courage to Publish

SS: Publishing a book is a courageous act. What helped you become courageous in the face of fear?

KB: I kept my focus on why I was writing the book, and how my greatest desire is to share my story with the hope of helping others facing similar issues and challenges in life. I’ve learned along my journey the importance of putting myself out there no matter how difficult it might be. The response I get when I share my struggles is overwhelmingly positive. People crave authenticity and that gives me the courage to push through my fear.

SS: In the book, you transparently chronicle the loss of your marriage and a battle with depression. After enduring those dark days, how do you stay hopeful?

KB: I stay hopeful by realizing where my hope must come from. People will always let me down. Dreams will be broken and life will throw curveballs like an ace pitcher. In the midst of all of this, I continually have to step back and remind myself that God is the ONLY source of hope. He will never let me down. So when a curveball is thrown my way, I allow my soul to feel it and remember what I’ve been through and then acknowledge how God was working through it all to strengthen my trust in Him.

Battling Fear

SS: This has been great, Kevin. One last question before I let you go. Put yourself in the shoes of someone who is reading this interview. What would you say to encourage readers who are battling fear?

KB: I would encourage them to remember fear is grounded in the illusion that we have control over our lives. But in all honesty, we have zero control over what happens to us and 100% control over how we respond to what happens. It’s in the moments where we feel fear welling up inside that we have to teach our hearts to look to God. Hebrews 12:1 encourages us to lay aside whatever is weighing us down and to fix our eyes on Jesus. As we develop this habit of laying down and looking up, we will discover our fears begin to melt away. One of my favorite songs sums it up:

Turn your eyes upon Jesus
Look full in His wonderful face
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim
In the light of His glory and grace

Thanks so much for sharing with us Kevin! You can learn more about Kevin and new book, Resole, below. To read other interviews in the Overcoming Fear series, click here.

About Kevin Bradford

Kevin Bradford is married to Julie and father to six amazing kids. He is a strategic planner and project manager at a Department of Energy facility in Oak Ridge, TN and has his master’s in Infrastructure Planning and Management from the University of Washington.

Kevin is a writer, pastor and coffee snob. His first book, Resole, is available now. Resole explores how to overcome your past and become a new creation. Over the past 20 years, Kevin has served as a worship pastor, creative director, small group leader and elder.

You can connect with Kevin on Twitter or follow his blog.
His newest book, Resole, is available now for Kindle,Nook,iBooks and GooglePlay.