From an interview with award winning, bestselling author, Jane Jenkins Herlong
“As a child, I remember the fun of counting boxcars and looking for the end of the train. Finally, I could see the little red caboose in the distance and I knew the wait was almost over. As I grew older, the sight of the smaller red car was more than fun, it was a welcome relief as I waited for the train to pass.
“When life hands us trials, it can feel like a never-ending train of boxcars loaded with difficulties that leave us asking, “Where is the caboose? Is there an end to my problem? If you have ever waited for the end of a trial or a problem to appear, it can, like the fewer and fewer cabooses left in existence, feel as if the end is nowhere in sight. You pray that things will be over fast. You long for the crossing gates to lift so you can return to normal and go on with your life. You just want “it” to stop and can’t imagine any value coming from all the seemingly never-ending troubles.
In an excerpt from her book, Bury Me With My Pearls, Jane shares times when, like a never ending train of trials and tribulations, life adds a dark pearl to our strand of pearls. http://amzn.to/1LFS4N4
“Though it may be hard to do, rather than asking God to get rid of your problems or merely try to tolerate them, ‘Welcome them,’ as Dr. Henry Cloud so masterfully says, ‘as gifts, designed as the next steps of growth for you.’ ”
“We all dread those times when a dark pearl is added to our strand of beautiful creamy white pearls. We don’t want to put that particular pearl on our priceless strand, but ironically it can become the most valuable pearl of all. Mysteriously formed by irritants inside an oyster shell, only one out of every ten thousand pearls becomes a dark pearl. They are greatly prized by exotic pearl experts and their price is steep. Likewise, our dark pearl may be produced by a variety of irritants: the death of a loved one, illness, betrayal, divorce, unfair treatment, abuse, or financial ruin; so its price is steep.
“Will we find value in this rare treasure or will we allow it to devalue our life? It all depends on how we handle that dark period in our lives. Depending on how we use and display the dark pearls of life, they can be a treasure or a tragedy.”
Jane adds how Dr. Cloud’s words helped her through some of the most painful years of her life. And, though the rest of Bury Me With My Pearls is humorous, chapter six, titled “Dark PearIs,” is the place where she shares how to find hope and meaning through difficult times.
“Remember, just like a train traveling before you, this too shall pass. Even though you cannot see it, there is a caboose; an end is near. Is there someone in your life that needs to know the caboose is right around the corner? “
About Jane:
Humorist, Amazon “Best-Selling” author and professional singer, Jane Jenkins Herlong, CSP finds the funny in dysfunction while entertaining with her comedy and singing heard on Sirius XM Satellite Radio and Pandora. Jane helps audiences confront negativity with grace and humor to increase performance and productivity as she did by overcoming being labeled Dyslexic and other challenges. From the tomato fields of Johns Island, South Carolina to a Miss America runway and beyond, Jane’s funny original, Southern stories and award-winning singing help audiences learn life-skills and discover the healing power of laughter – especially when dealing with the stressful issues thrown at their field of dreams. You will love this farm-girl’s Southern-style recipe for balancing your own personal journey with a sense of humor and hope mixed with a heaping helping of folksy wisdom.
Along with entertaining audiences from coast to coast, Jane has performed at the legendary Radio City Music Hall sharing the stage with well-known personalities such as; Colin Powell, Rudolph Giuliana, Charles Stanley and the late Charlton Heston. Not bad for a Lowcountry farm girl! As a humorist, author, parody writer and recording artist, Jane’s products and digital downloads are featured Amazon and iTunes.
Contact Jane at: www.janeherlong.com
