Local writer proclaims God’s unconditional love
"I was inspired to title the book 'The Lost Sheep' because, from the words that are written in the Bible, I learned that Jesus called His people sheep and that He was the Great Shepherd who never left His sheep and even found all the lost sheep."
Join Alice Art Gallery on Saturday and Sunday, February 25 and 26, for the book launch of Yvonne Leatt and the art exhibition of Nic Oosthuizen.
Yvonne Leatt, 78, is a retired physiotherapist who spent the majority of her career working with children who had brain damage.
She elaborated on her writing journey, stating, “I’ve never written a book before, and this is my first publication; I have no plans to write another. Having believed that I had never been loved throughout all the chapters of my life up until the age of 51, I now realise the unconditional love that God poured into my heart and life,” she explained.
Yvonne had to go back into her family history, her own history, and understand in her heart the great revelation between religion and having a relationship with God.
“I saved the numerous articles of required research until 2020 (the start of Covid), when I could no longer procrastinate and find excuses not to write because I was housebound. I truly believe that I did not write this book on my own, but rather through the inspiration of God, because I am not creative in any way, but rather more academic. If a novice approached me for advice on writing a book, I would be unable to respond.”
She described the process of writing the book as metaphorically opening a tap in her mind and letting the water of inspiration flow over her and into the book.
“I was introduced to the artist who created the artwork for my book, Nic, when I was introduced to Alice for the first time at the gallery where some of his art was on display,” she continued, “it was a true coincidence because after we talked, he told me he was a farmer who enjoyed painting sheep. Before this first meeting, he had never heard of me or seen my book.”
The artwork on the cover of The Book of the Sheep was created by a very special friend of my daughter, who now lives in Liverpool, UK, and whom Yvonne met in Harare, Zimbabwe, in the 1950s, when the artist was a young child.
“I was inspired to title the book ‘The Lost Sheep’ because, from the words that are written in the Bible, I learned that Jesus called His people sheep and that He was the Great Shepherd who never left His sheep and even found all the lost sheep. I identified with that ‘lost sheep’ because I had such a low self-esteem and lived a life with a purpose only to survive. And, of course all of this changed when Jesus found me. The artwork inside the book symbolises the various messages that need to be understood by the reader,” Yvonne concluded.
Readers are encouraged to attend the launch at the Alice Art Gallery and talk with Yvonne about her book, where she will also be signing copies.
