Don DuBois on Faith, Salvation, and the Stories Behind His Books

We do not usually plan on suffering becoming the thing that gets our attention. We make plans for our families, our work, and the years ahead. Then something happens that we cannot control, and questions we have pushed aside suddenly become personal. What do I actually believe? Where is God in this? And am I ready to face eternity?

Author Don DuBois joins Faith and Family Fellowship to introduce the faith and experiences behind his writing. His books include Late to The Harvest: One Man’s Journey from Suffering to Salvation, Early To Rise: One Man’s Journey To Eternity, and Simply Miracles: One Man’s Encounter with the Divine. Together, those titles bring us into a conversation about suffering, salvation, eternity, and recognizing God’s work in everyday life.

On his author website, Don describes Late to The Harvest as the account of his return to Christ while living through a severe illness. He draws from experiences throughout his life and writes about turning back toward God and the roots of his faith. His story gives readers a personal setting for questions that many people carry quietly.

Illness has a way of interrupting our confidence. Things we assumed would always be there suddenly feel uncertain. A calendar full of plans cannot guarantee another year. A lifetime of work cannot purchase another breath. And knowing religious language does not necessarily mean we have learned to trust the Lord when we are afraid.

The psalmist writes: “When I am afraid, I put my trust in you.” - Psalm 56:3

Notice that he admits the fear. Faith does not require us to pretend we are unaffected by what is happening. We can bring the diagnosis, the uncertainty, and the questions before God honestly. Trust means turning toward Him with those things instead of deciding we must somehow handle them before we pray.

Don’s background includes more than forty years working in forestry and land management throughout southern New England. He lives in Connecticut with his wife and continues that work alongside his writing. His books come out of a life that includes ordinary responsibilities as well as the experiences that led him to reconsider his relationship with God.

That matters because conversations about salvation cannot remain somewhere outside our actual lives. We can discuss Christianity as an interesting subject while avoiding what Jesus is asking of us personally. At some point, we have to stop speaking only about faith and consider whether we are responding to Him.

Late to The Harvest places suffering and salvation together in its title, but we need to understand the distinction. Suffering does not earn salvation. Pain does not pay for sin. Jesus Christ is the Savior, and our hope rests in what He has done for us. A painful season may bring us to the end of our excuses, but it is Christ we need.

Early To Rise: One Man’s Journey To Eternity brings another question before the reader. What are we living toward? We spend years preparing for retirement, helping our children prepare for adulthood, and trying to make wise decisions about tomorrow. Yet eternity can remain the subject we assume there will be time to address later.

We should take that seriously without becoming careless about the life God has given us today. Thinking about eternity ought to affect how we love our families, how we forgive, how we use our time, and whether we keep postponing obedience. There are conversations worth having now and steps of faith we should stop putting off.

Simply Miracles: One Man’s Encounter with the Divine completes the group of books featured in this episode. Its title directs attention toward recognizing God’s work, a subject that calls for both gratitude and discernment. We can thank God for His care while allowing Scripture to guide how we understand and speak about our experiences.

Sometimes we are so focused on the answer we want that we overlook the people helping us through the waiting. Someone prays with us. Someone stays close when we have little to offer. We receive strength to face a responsibility we wanted to avoid. Those moments deserve our attention and our gratitude.

Don’s story invites readers to consider their own response to God. You may be walking through something you never expected, or looking back on years you wish you had lived differently. You do not have to hide those things from the Lord. God already knows what you are carrying. Bring them honestly before Him, open His Word, and respond to what He says.

Explore Don DuBois’s books on Amazon: Late to The Harvest: One Man’s Journey from Suffering to Salvation, Early To Rise: One Man’s Journey To Eternity, and Simply Miracles: One Man’s Encounter with the Divine.

You can also learn more about Don and his writing at LateToTheHarvest.com.