by Jayna Breigh
I am in a season of endings. My son graduated from high school in May 2023. My father died in February 2024, and my baby girl graduates in May 2025. I look in the mirror and I see my thinning hairline and the hints of a waddle under my chin. In my mind, I rage against the woman who told me when my kids were little, “The days go by slow, but the years go by fast.” I didn’t want to believe her then, and now I am shaken by her dead accurate prediction. I am wrestling with how to embrace an intense, challenging season of life.
My debut novel, The Hunted Heir, deals with a tragic loss and the aftermath. After the death of her sister, Nona Taylor has become hard-bitten, cynical and closed off. She’s distanced herself from God and has turned her back on happiness. Like Nona, I am trying to understand how everything fits together. What does the future hold? What is there to look forward to? How do I have a God-focused orientation during this time?
LEANING INTO PRAYER
Prayer is my solace. Prayer is not ethereal. It is more than thoughts, wishes and hopes trapped inside our minds. We are to pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17). Our prayers exist in God’s presence like wafting incense (Revelation 5:8) and have actual power through Christ (James 5:16). When we pray according to God’s will, He hears us (1 John 5:14-15). Our prayers are not bouncing off the ceiling and returning void.
EMBRACING GOD’S SOVEREIGNTY
Prayer is not my destination, but it sustains me on the journey. God does not guarantee me the results I desire, but I can see God’s hand behind every single moment I have lived through these past two years. My wobbly, battered faith takes solace in the truth that God’s hands have sifted through all my life’s events. He appointed me for “such a time as this” (Esther 4:14). Even though it is hard, I have arrived at the crystal-clear assurance that I was called to my triple moment of loss.
EMBRACING LIMITATIONS
We are all frail, finite beings who will stumble and fall flat on our faces. We hurt others and they will hurt us. In this season, I have been through all of this. Yet, ultimately, "We have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us" (2 Corinthians 4:7). Therefore we can give thanks in all things to God who never leaves us or forsakes us (Hebrews 13:5).
My tagline is “hoping to heal hearts with eternal truths.” I hope that in The Hunted Heir readers will find words of hope and encouragement in the Lord to carry, encourage and uplift them.
Jayna Breigh is an award-winning author of romantic legal dramas. With over a decade of experience practicing “big city law” in Los Angeles, she brings authenticity to her stories, which feature lawyers, courtroom intrigue, senior citizens, and characters overcoming life's toughest challenges. Beyond writing, Jayna has shared her insights as a speaker at women’s retreats and a leader of Bible studies. She’s drawn to humor, inspiration, and painfully cute social media. The only personal drama she indulges in? British period pieces and competitive games of Wordfeud.
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