Heather Holleman remembers the exact moment she wasn’t invited to sit with the popular girls in middle school. Her new middle-grade novel, This Seat’s Saved, introduces young readers to a girl who can’t find her seat in the lunchroom. We journey alongside 7^th grader Elita Brown as she realizes she’s at the best table already with Jesus. Moms and daughters alike will love this novel, a perfect summer read! It’s a grace to welcome Heather to the farm’s table today… 

Guest Post by Heather Holleman

Excerpt from This Seat’s Saved, a novel

“The tables. Yes. It starts in the lunchroom,” Mrs. Burgley’s sitting in the library, telling, me, young Elita Brown about how to heal from the wound not having a seat at the popular in school.

You don’t have a seat with the popular girls. Then you don’t have a seat at whatever table you think will make you happy.

“You don’t have a seat with the popular girls. And you don’t have a seat at whatever table you think will make you happy—like with the athletes or the singers or the rich or famous people. And you keep thinking that if only you had a seat there, you’d be truly, truly happy. You’d be okay inside.” 

I nodded. I had been thinking that. So far, I understood everything she said. 

“And the seat you want changes. You’ll wonder why everyone else is seated with a boyfriend and later a husband. You’ll wonder why people have better houses or better careers or better children. It’s a terrible, terrible way to live.”

She looked at me a moment to see if I was following. 

I nodded. I sipped the tart cider. 

“And then I read something that was like a lightning bolt in my soul. I was sitting right where we are now when God spoke to me through the Bible.” 

I had goosebumps all over my arms. The room felt cold. I both wanted to run away and stay right where I was forever. God spoke? Right here?

I took a deep breath and looked out the window. I tried to imagine the voice of God and couldn’t. Does God speak to people? 

Mrs. Burgley reached for a tattered green book.

You are marvelous just as you are; you don’t need to try and be like any other girls.

She read slowly: “Once you were dead because of your disobedience and your many sins. You used to live in sin, just like the rest of the world, obeying the devil—the commander of the powers in the unseen world. He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God. All of us used to live that way, following the passionate desires and inclinations of our sinful nature. By our very nature we were subject to God’s anger, just like everyone else” (Ephesians 2:1-4).

She peered at me over her reading glasses.

“Do you understand that part? We’re spiritually dead inside without Jesus. And we’re full of sin—we cannot do the right thing.” 

“I think so,” I said. This wasn’t fun to think about. I couldn’t help feeling bad about myself.

Then my thoughts were even worse. It was like a parade of memories of how bad I was marched through my brain. Ugh. I’m not a good person. 

“It gets better,” Mrs. Burgley promised. “And we’re not to the part where I heard from God.”

She read very slowly and emphasized each word.

“But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!) For he raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus. . . . For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.” 

She closed the Bible and folded her hands on top of it. “Did any pictures come into your mind when I read that?” 

“The masterpiece part. It’s like a painting.” 

“Yes—you are a masterpiece! But what about that other image?” 

“Um—God raising me up to be with Him?” I guessed. 

She read Ephesians 2 again and told me to listen for the word “seated.” 

“God seated us with Christ in the heavenly realms. That’s the secret! It’s already true of me right now. I am seated with Jesus at the greatest table—the one my heart really longs for. He’s saving a seat for you, too, Elita. He makes you a new person inside and has good things planned for you to do with your life. I was sitting right here when Jesus told me He saved a seat for me. ‘This seat’s saved for you,’ He said.” 

He’s saving a seat for me. Goosebumps. Sparkles, but in my soul. 

I closed my eyes.

I did like that part where Jesus was saving a seat for me.

It’s already true of me right now. I am seated with Jesus at the greatest table—the one my heart really longs for.

I thought of walking to Jesus toward those high-top tables and instead of Margo’s voice, I heard Jesus say, “This seat’s saved . . . for Elita.” I felt my eyes filling up with tears. 

“You don’t need to have shame, Elita. God doesn’t want you to hide. God forgives us and makes us clean inside. And you are marvelous just as you are; you don’t need to try and be like any other girls. Jesus wants to be with you.” 

With me? And marvelous just as I am? I thought of the list of all the ways I was supposed to improve. 

Mrs. Burgley continued. “It’s hard to picture. But it’s true. You’re seated with Jesus when you ask Him to come into your life, forgive your sin, and make you a new person.

Remember, He cleans up your heart. You get a seat at His table. He saved it for you.

I wish I would have known that, Elita. I could have walked into that seventh-grade lunchroom and seen all those popular girls, and I could have known in my heart that I already had a seat at the best table with Jesus.” 

I tried to picture my seat with Jesus.

“But I’m right here,” I finally said. “How can I also be there?” 

“It’s a mystery. I don’t know—Paul was most likely in a Roman prison when he wrote that. That was his here. But he experienced himself as there with Jesus in that special seat.” 

I didn’t say anything. I couldn’t. I was trying to picture my seat with Jesus. 

“Elita—take this advice and put it in the middle of your heart. For the rest of your life, no matter what classroom, no matter what happens at a friend’s house, no matter where you work or where you go, remember you are already seated with Christ, and He has a special place saved for you. 

[ Our humble thanks to Moody Publishers for their partnership in today’s devotional. ]