‘Jesus Calling’ Author Sarah Young Dies After Battle With Lyme Disease
By Movieguide® Contributor
“Jesus Calling” author Sarah Young recently died after battles with chronic illnesses.
“It has been a joy and an honor to have Sarah Young as part of our publishing family,” Mark Schoenwald, president of HarperCollins Christian Publishing, said in a statement about her death. “Sarah was a remarkable woman who deeply loved God. Her words have resonated with people from all walks of life, and the global impact of her work is unparalleled.”
“Through nearly 20 years of publishing with Sarah, I had a firsthand seat at seeing millions of lives changed through the ‘Jesus Calling’ books. Her books have met people in their darkest hours, taught children about Jesus, and changed lives for eternity. Knowing Sarah professionally and personally has been the privilege of a lifetime,” said Laura Minchew, Senior VP and Group Publisher of the Children’s and Gift Book Group and HarperCollins Christian Publishing.
“‘Jesus Calling’ was birthed out of Young’s battle with Lyme disease and other chronic illnesses which forced her to spend massive amounts of time alone,” CBN reported.
Young was 77 years old. She is survived by her husband Steve, two children and six grandchildren.
Fans were alerted to Young’s condition after her publisher posted a statement on social media.
“We received the hard news that Sarah’s health is rapidly failing,” the statement read. “We know that Sarah really believes in the power of prayer and prays for her readers every morning. Now, we have the precious privilege to lift up Sarah and her family. Please join us in prayer.”
Young had spoken about how her health issues have affected her career, telling Religion News Service, “Because of my isolated location and my chronic health issues, I’ve never been on a book tour,” adding, “Though my name may be well known, my face is not.”
Movieguide® previously reported on Young’s health struggles and how it impacted her work as an author:
Young has previously publicly commented on her health issues, including a Lyme disease diagnosis and other related complications.
The writer shared that those health struggles shaped one of her books, “Jesus Today.”
“I am convinced that if I had been healthier I would not have been able to write this book,” Young said in an interview with Publishers Weekly. “It chronicles my journey from discouragement to hope. There seems to be a sense of hopelessness creeping into many people’s mindsets as they look at problems in their lives and in world events. But the hope we can find in the Bible is a sturdy reality — no matter what is happening in our lives or in the world.”
