Speeches
Bestselling Author Julie Berry Encourages Students to Trust God’s Process and Find Joy in the Journey
“Trust the Process,” said New York Times bestselling author Julie Berry as she recently spoke to the Southern Virginia University community. With candid warmth and compassion, Berry shared how faith in God’s timing, and a willingness to listen, has shaped her career, her family life, and her sense of purpose–comparing it to God writing her life into a love story.
“My life is a story about a God who reached out to a little girl to let her know that she is loved,” said Berry. “God has always been kind to me, and that’s my personal love story.”
Berry recounted the beginning of her educational journey and an early experience recognizing God’s voice. Her initial plans were to become a chemist, but after several lab mishaps, she realized chemistry might not be her calling. Instead, she followed a prompting to switch her major to technical communications, which merged her love of writing with her interest in science and technology.
“We all need to work on learning how God speaks to us,” she explained. “It can be hard to decode what is from God and what is our own desires, which is why we need to practice listening and recognizing God’s voice.”
“As we learn to listen to God’s voice, we’re better able to act on promptings of the Spirit, recognize blessings in our life, and make decisions with confidence. It’s something even I am still practicing,” continued Berry.
While raising her children, Berry again felt a strong prompting–this time to write fiction. Though she loved being a mother and a wife, she also said pursuing her career as an author has also brought her immense joy.
“Through the process of writing fiction, I learned that our Father in Heaven wants me to be blissfully and deliriously happy writing my stories,” she shared. “I realized that our individual joy is important to our Heavenly Father.”
Berry acknowledged that mistakes are part of both writing and life, but then compared the need for and importance of revisions and receiving feedback as part of spiritual growth.
“Make mistakes and learn from them,” Berry advised. “Get spiritual teaching and coaching to practice living like the Savior. Find honest, intelligent, and loving feedback from those you trust, as well as from the Holy Spirit. And most of all, believe you have something worthwhile to give. Don’t give up–instead, trust the process.”
The forum opened with a musical performance of “Being Alive” from Theatre’s recent production of “Sondheim Tribute Revue,” performed by student Colton Sorensen, and concluded with the traditional singing of “Love One Another.”