Platinum Faith

Craig von Buseck: So what does ‘Platinum Faith’ mean?

Bethany: The idea was born as a spin-off of our company, Platinum Literary Services. So basically, we took the characteristics of platinum, the metal, and applied it to the faith journey. When we started researching the name of the company, we wanted to reflect that we would be top-shelf, platinum level service. Then when we dug into what platinum really is, it was amazing. This name reflects our Christianity as well as our business.

CVB: So how did the book come about?

Michelle: The way the book happened is we were at a conference in Florida. Our agent had made an appointment for us to meet with this publisher to pitch a book, but we’d already sold the book to someone else. So at 2:30 in the morning, we’re texting back and forth. She’s in one room and I’m in another. And I said, “What about platinum faith?” And it was like, “Oh my goodness!” So we went back and forth, outlined the book through texts. And the next morning we pitched this thing.

That was the beginning of what we knew was a God-ordained project. It was really a labor of love. We are both quite in love with research, so we really had fun doing the research and finding lots of scriptures. I think every chapter it seemed like we were challenged.

The writing of this book was a journey. We have both grown so much in our faith by just writing this book and we’re hoping it will do the same for the women who read it.

CVB: As I was looking through the table of contents, the word “you” jumped out at me. How did you come to the point of deciding to use the word “you” in telling your readers who they are?

Michelle: I think that comes out of speaking. We both do a lot of women’s ministry events. When you’re speaking one-on-one with a woman at the altar, or you’re speaking to 800 women, the thing that you want to do is make it personal. We wanted to do the same thing in this book. It’s not just another book. We bathed this in prayer. And it isn’t about us. We are sisters in faith and we need each other.

Bethany and I were very strategic about who took what chapter. One of the things that resonates with me is that platinum is so rare and valuable. Once you know how much God values you, once you realize that he gave His Son for you and that He loves you so much and He has this great plan for you, that changes everything else. Your perspective on everyday life is different. Your perspective going through the fire is different.

So that was really an important chapter to me because I think as women we often struggle with self-esteem or maybe think we’re not good enough. Maybe God will use somebody else because I’m not qualified. I remember saying that so many times. I would get a book contract and think, “I don’t know if I can do this. I mean, I’m glad they think I can do this, but I don’t know if I can do this.” I think that there is some good in that because if we rely on ourselves, then it might be great writing, but it would just be hollow words. So I always have to press into God on everything that I do, speaking, writing, whatever.

Our value often as women is in our looks, or in what we’ve achieved, in our career, or in how we keep our house – all these different things that women judge other women by. The older I get, the tougher that gets. And you think, “Wow, maybe I should just be done. Maybe there’s somebody younger to come in and do this.” And yet God says, “Nope, I’m sending you again.”

So you just have to be confident in who God’s made you to be. And once we see ourselves how He sees us, and know how valuable we are, it just changes everything else.

CVB: So tell us about those characteristics of platinum that makes it special for your company.

Bethany: It’s easily malleable. So you automatically think of the Scripture about the clay in the Potter’s hands. It bonds easily. It resists corrosion. We know of platinum’s use in jewelry, but it’s also used in pace-makers and catalytic converters. In the book we point out that sometimes we want to be on stage and front and center, but so much of the important uses of platinum are the ones that nobody sees. So there is space for everybody, no matter what God calls you to do.

Michelle: I can see why God used the metaphor of the potter’s wheel and He is the Master Potter. As long as we remain malleable, as long as we remain teachable we will grow. We pray, “Lord, you shape me. You make me better. I’m in your hands.” It’s when we think that we’re perfect, that we don’t need any help, I think that is when we get into really dangerous category. That chapter in the book was important to me because I think sometimes it’s hard to remain teachable. I teach at conferences, writers conferences, I teach through writing, and I teach my daughters who are now their mothers themselves. I’m now teaching my grandchildren. I’m a teacher by nature, but I don’t know everything. So it’s good to be reminded, and I appreciate that we’re still learning.

Bethany always says, “Teach as you go.” So as we learn, we’re sharing it with others. I want to continue to learn and grow in my faith and in every part of my life. And that’s what that chapter is kind of about. Not thinking you’ve arrived, but just remaining teachable and malleable.

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