Waynesburg native publishes his story of hope and healing
WAYNESBURG – Anthony Jarrell said he’s hoping his book can help others struggling with their faith.
He wanted to do something, even something small, to show others that they matter.
“Exile: A Story of Finding Hope” is a personal story of struggling with one’s faith. The book tackles what it means to be Christian and have real faith. It’s coming to grips with growing up and experiencing disappointment and trauma, learning to process that hurt, and healing.
The Waynesburg native is currently a resident director at Waynesburg University and a staff pastor at the Foundry Church in Morgantown, W.Va. The moral of his story, Jarrell said, is that when he let Jesus take over and be the author, he found hope and a sense of identity.
“You find hope in letting him be the author of your story,” he said.
Of course, it’s an ongoing process. Jarrell said wrestling with his relationship with Jesus in the midst of pain is something to which others can relate.
“I feel lucky to be this young and be able to do something that can impact even people I grew up with,” he said.
Jarrell decided to write a book after receiving encouragement from many people. Through his work in the church and residence life, he would meet many students and community members. He’d share his story and life experiences, having conversations about faith and hope.
“OK, maybe I’ll just try to put some things down and have some fun with it,” Jarrell thought after someone encouraged him yet again to write a book.
He formed an outline and a basic storyline and shared the story with a few trusted friends, who told him he actually had something worth sharing with others. He explored some publishing options, which went surprisingly well.
“Exile” took 11 months from conception to completion – four months to write and about seven months to edit.
“I’m definitely very proud of it,” Jarrell said.
The book has been out for a couple of months now, and Jarrell said the response has been amazing. He hears from someone that finds it relatable about once a week.
Jarrell, who grew up in Waynesburg, considers himself lucky to be around where he’s grown up and be able to give back, especially while he’s young.
Throughout his youth, he thought he’d enter journalism. But late in high school and in college, that started to change. Church and faith became more important. He delved into psychology and counseling, but found his purpose in ministry. Being a resident director at the university means he can mentor students, much like some transformational people helped him in college.
“Connection happens when you’re real, not when you’re trying to impress people,” he said.
Jarrell said there’s comfort in knowing that others struggle with not being good enough.
Jarrell isn’t sure if more books are in his future or not. He loves working on big projects, like starting a church, and wants all of his endeavors to answer one core question: How can it help? That question is at the center of all he does.
For anyone else thinking about trying to write a book, Jarrell said go for it. He meets people daily that don’t think their stories are as valuable as they are.
“Exile” is available online at Amazon and Barnes & Noble. It can also be purchased locally from Waynesburg Coffee Company or from Jarrell.