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A Place of Healing
In The Race of Your Life, you walk readers through your experience living with interstitial lung disease and share the faith that is bringing you through each day. Why was this an important book for you to write?
I wrote this book because when I was looking for help in coping with my diagnosis, I could not find the kind of encouragement I needed. Everything I came across focused on statistics and prognosis, and honestly, it felt cold and hopeless. I wanted something that spoke to the heart, something that reminded me there could still be joy, peace, and purpose in the middle of a hard diagnosis. That is why writing this book mattered so much to me. I wanted to encourage both myself and others to look beyond the numbers, hold on to the goodness of God, trust His timing, and remember that even when so much feels out of our control, we still have a choice in how we respond.
I appreciate the candid nature with which you share your story. What was the most difficult thing for you to write about?
The hardest thing for me to write about was getting my diagnosis alone in the hospital during COVID-19. I did not fully realize how much that moment had stayed with me until I began writing it down. As I wrote, I cried because it brought back the fear, the loneliness, and the feeling of being abandoned in that moment. But it also became a place of healing for me. In the middle of writing, I was reminded that I was never truly alone. God sustained me through that scary time and protected me from COVID-19 during the first two years of my journey.
The book blends memoir with practical spiritual guidance. How did you decide on that structure?
When I first wrote the draft, it was very chronological and straightforward. I was simply telling the story as it happened. But a friend of mine challenged me, saying I had more to offer than just the timeline of events. She reminded me that I am a Marine, a teacher, and a woman of strong faith, and that those parts of who I am shaped not only how I lived this journey, but also how I could share it with others. I took time to reflect on that and asked myself how I would tell this story if I were sitting across from someone who needed encouragement. That is what led me to blend memoir with practical spiritual guidance. I wanted the book to feel like a conversation, filled with honesty, hope, and the most heartfelt advice I could give.
What advice would you give to people who want to support a loved one with a chronic illness but aren’t sure how?
My advice would be to simply be there for them without overwhelming them. Your presence matters, but sometimes saying less and listening more can mean everything. Try not to feel like you have to fix every hard thing they share, because sometimes they are not looking for solutions, they just need a safe place to vent and be honest. One of the greatest gifts you can give is to be yourself around them. People living with chronic illness still long for normalcy, genuine connection, and the comfort of being treated like themselves, not just like their condition.
Author Links: GoodReads | Facebook | Website | Amazon
If you’re facing a diagnosis, sitting by a hospital bed, or living with an ache you can’t fix, The Race of Your Life will meet you there. Author Stacy Kincer invites you into her journey with interstitial lung disease—the tests, the fear, the waiting—and the God who kept breathing life into her faith when her lungs could not.
Through honest stories, Scripture, and gentle reflection, you’ll discover:
How to pray when words run out and anxiety spikes at 2 a.m.
Practical ways to let others carry you when you’re too tired to carry yourself.
Rhythms of rest and truth that steady your mind when your body is weak.
The promises of God that hold when everything else feels unsteady.
This isn’t a quick fix. It’s a faithful companion for the long road—for anyone walking through illness, loss, or uncertainty. If you’re short of breath—in body or soul—let this book help you take your next brave breath.
The Race of Your Life reminds us: God’s strength carries us when we can’t carry ourselves—and every breath can become an act of worship.
The Race of Your Life: A Spiritual and Mental Battle Against an Incurable Disease
The Race of Your Life is a Christian memoir and practical faith guide that follows Stacy Kincer’s journey from athletic Marine and teacher to a woman living with interstitial lung disease and multiple autoimmune conditions. She walks through life before the diagnosis, the shock of hospital stays, the long grind of tests and labels, and then moves into chapters on emotions, community, prayer, obedience, and hope. Each chapter pairs story with Scripture, reflection, and prayer, and the book ends with a leader’s guide that turns her experience into a small-group resource with discussion questions and action steps.
The writing is simple, vivid, and very direct. Scenes like trying to shower with a chair or gasping in the ER hit hard without feeling dramatic. I liked the way she breaks big ideas into concrete moments: socks that feel like a mountain, a student sent to fetch the nurse, a driver’s license handed over when she cannot speak. That style kept me grounded. The spiritual language stays clear and everyday. She quotes Scripture a lot, yet it feels woven into the story, and the short prayers at the end of sections read like something you could actually say yourself–genuine and relatable.
I also appreciated her honesty about anger, grief, and counseling. She lets herself be scared, lonely, and frustrated, and she talks openly about therapy and medication as part of God’s provision, not a lack of faith. That felt refreshing. There is a lot of helpful reinforcement in the middle of the book, especially in chapters that return to core themes like fear, surrender, and trust. The leader’s guide material, with its summaries, key takeaways, and reflection questions, builds on that by revisiting each chapter’s main ideas to help them really sink in. I didn’t mind it too much, since this kind of book is often read slowly or in a group.
By the time I reached the closing pages and her final prayer for the reader, I felt a mix of heaviness and encouragement. She does not offer a tidy “happy ending.” She points to a God who stays present in the mess, and she writes out of weakness, not victory speeches. I would recommend this book to Christians who are living with chronic or incurable illness, to spouses and caregivers who want to understand that inner storm a bit better, and to small groups that want a gentle, structured way to talk about suffering, faith, and mental health. If you want a real person sitting across the table, telling you “you are not alone” and backing it up with story, Scripture, and practical prompts, this book more than fits that need.
Pages: 168 | ASIN : B0G4V4MH4S
