Sandra Yearman doesn’t think the family that she grew up in was particularly religious. "But I can’t remember a time that I wasn’t talking to God all the time," she said. As a child she drew strength, encouragement and hope from her prayers. She still does.
In her job with the Dane County Sheriff’s Department she meets people who are dealing with problems and need help. But many don’t know how to get help. "I’ve had people tell me that in the 12-step programs, the step to connect with a higher power is the hardest. I’ve actually had people tell me that they don’t know how to pray. That just blew me away."
She wanted to do something for those people. She thought about it for a number of years. Then three years ago she had a close call that threatened her health. "I got out of hospital and thought that if I was ever going to do the things I was going to do, now was the time."
Poetry Available in 14 Books
So she started writing poetry, poems that end with a prayer. And she began researching the publishing business. Last year she had enough poems to fill 14 small paperback books. She got the books published and is now making them available on Amazon.
"When I first started writing these books I didn’t expect anybody to like them," she said. But the feedback was more positive than she anticipated. "Some of the people I would least expect would like something like this, do."
Working in law enforcement means dealing with people in traumatizing situations. When tragedy strikes, it’s not unusual for people to ask, "Why did God do this to me?" She doesn’t have any easy answers. She offers a starting place for those who are ready to start working their way back.
"I decided on poetry because it gives me more of a license in how I can say things and still get the point across," she said. "I hold up a mirror and if the poem applies, well, it gives you the words."
Aware of God’s Presence
Yearman finds the presence of God all around her as she goes about her activities, sometimes when least expected. Like the day when things were not going well and she holed up behind a newspaper in the far corner of a cafeteria in one of the downtown office buildings. The cafeteria was almost completely empty, so she was surprised when her table started jiggling and she looked up from her newspaper to see an attendant seating a quadriplegic man in a wheel chair across from her. She was not feeling very social and snapped the newspaper back up in front of her face.
"And the next thing I heard was this gentleman praying. He can’t bow his head down, because he can’t move his head. But he’s got his fingers folded, which is really difficult because he’s wearing braces. He’s got his eyes closed and he’s thanking God for all his blessings. And then he asked God to bless all of these other people.
"So I put my paper down; by then I was crying. He looked at me and he said, ‘Do you ever talk to God? I talk to him everyday.’ I spent the rest of the lunch hour talking to this man. And as I walked away, I said, ‘God I heard you this time.’ I think God talks to us all of the time. Either we don’t want to listen or we don’t recognize the message."
A Mirror for Reflection
Yearman said experiences like that day in the cafeteria give us a mirror to see ourselves. She hopes her poems have the same effect. "There are so many people that you see over and over again that are just so lost and so broken." Her company is called Seraphim Publishing. The tagline on her book covers is, "We will bring light to all of the dark places."
"Because of my adventuresome spirit, I’ve had a lot of unique life experiences," she said. "I’ve finally found what I really love to do."