A Trustworthy Friend

Cynthia Heald was a name I felt like I’d always known—the Bible study teacher so many around me respected as I was growing up. But I didn’t know much about Cynthia Heald the person until I began working at NavPress. Over the last eight years, I’ve come to know Cynthia Heald the gentle encourager, the humble friend, the thoughtful advocate.

One thing that became clear to me early on is that Cynthia’s writing has never been about herself. Cynthia’s posture in life isn’t about herself. She is always reaching out, always focusing on the other person, and always—always—pointing them to the Jesus who loves them. She rests easy in her Father’s love, and she offers the same warm embrace to the people she comes into contact with.

Of course, Cynthia herself would tell you how much God is still shaping her. I’ve seen her wrestle with frustration and ask the hard questions, listened as she’s named the places where she needs to grow. She’s the real deal. I learn far more from how she pursues God in her humanness than if she were just a wise sage on a mountaintop.

Cynthia has held my oldest two boys as babies, has called to check on me during an ongoing health crisis, has prayed for me fiercely. And I’m just one person, someone she talks to a couple times a year. She loves the people around her profoundly and deeply, a love that emerges from the endless supply of the One who loves her. Her eyes are bright and her insights are sharp—she carries the wisdom of a lifetime of faithfulness to her Savior.

The words Cynthia has written are more valuable to me now than they have ever been, because I know how trustworthy and good the source is. Or, as Cynthia would likely correct me, how trustworthy and good her Source is.

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