This too shall pass...Be Defiant

This too shall pass...Be Defiant

What insights can experts and survivors share about addiction? This conversation on **Addicted to Faith, The Last Storyteller Podcast** centres on author Jonathan Lucas and his memoir *Be Defiant*, a book that Jim Hirtle describes as "heartbreaking and inspiring" and a true "page‑turner". Lucas talks through how writing began as a private act of release rather than a plan to become an author.

He explains that he rewrote his life story three times with the intention of burning it, until he finally chose to publish so "pages [could be] holding the story, no longer me." The book covers childhood trauma, foster care, homelessness, his time in the military, and the emotional toll of a false allegation he calls a "career killer" and an attack on his character. The episode has a strong focus on mental health and recovery.

Lucas shares how counselling helped him trace his rage back to events from when he was three, and how fatherhood forced him to recognise what unconditional love should look like. He now says, "Today I'm at peace. Praise God," living quietly on six acres in Alabama with a homestead taking shape and a rocking chair already on the porch.

For anyone dealing with addiction, anger, past abuse, or deep grief, the central message is simple but hard-won: "This too shall pass." Lucas calls resilience "the cost of living" and hopes his story offers encouragement to those who feel buried by their circumstances. You’ll also hear the very practical side of being a first-time indie author: scraping together funds for line editing, leaning on friends for feedback, wrestling with formats, and building a simple book cover on a budget.

The tone stays raw, honest and often dark, but there’s a thread of dry humour and stubborn hope running through it. If you’re craving a real story of survival, faith, and staying stubbornly upright when life swings hard, this conversation might be exactly what you need today.