Adron Dozat
COLUMBIA, Md.— “Our world is full of hurting people,” says Adron Dozat, who recently published a book of poetry entitled, Beyond These Dark Lands are Edges of Joy: Words of Comfort and Hope.
“This book offers a way to share Christ’s hope and God’s comfort gently,” describes Dozat, who is a member of South Columbia Baptist Church and serves as facility support specialist for the Baptist Convention of Maryland/Delaware in Columbia, Md.
“Gently” is the perfect word to describe the 114-page book, full of beautiful poems that acknowledge the darkness of pain, from “The Lands of Stone” to “The Dark Valleys,” all while leaning toward the light of “The Bright Shores.”
For example, the poem “CRUCIBLE” is a poem of intelligence over feelings:
“Beyond These Dark Lands are Edges of Joy” by A.E. Dozat
“When you do not receive
The hoped for blessing,
Or the rescue needed,
Or the healing of pain,
Then you are facing that
Critical collision;
The place of decision
Upon which all matters.
Where you must decide if
You can still declare
That
Even in suffering,
‘God, my God, is still good,’
Because that is the place
Where faith passes the test.
Each poem is accompanied with a meaningful scripture and with illustrations drawn by Dozat himself.
Dozat explains, “I wrote and illustrated this book of poems for those who are hurting and struggling with the deepest hurts and losses in life.”
He says it is not another book of “cheap overused platitudes, nice sayings or vague nonsense.” Rather, these poems offer hope that is thoughtful and substantial.
“I wanted the meanings to be easily found but leave you with much to think about while pointing to the God of all Comfort and His Christ,” he says.
The book easily accomplishes this goal. Whether reading the poems in one sitting or as part of a daily devotional, individuals will sense progress in their journeys—and that there is a way out of the darkness.
The book ends with an appendix which contains the Gospel, presented in a way that relates to a person going through difficult times.
Dozat, who admits he is “not a philosopher, academic, psychologist, psychiatrist, counselor or clergyman,” says he hopes people who minister to “the lonely, defeated, discouraged, overlooked souls in our world” will be able to use the book to encourage others.
“I am just a man who has worked for the last 50-something years as a janitor, custodian, mailroom clerk, carpet cleaner, door-to-door salesman, call center operator, artist, house mover, cashier, crew chief and a machine shop apprentice,” he says.
The difference in his writing, he explains, is his practical day-to-day faith in God, “a faith I found in 1972 through a Gospel relationship with my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.”
To that end, his ultimate prayer is that his writing will help others find a deeper faith in God, too.
Already, Dozat has shared the book with various groups, including the gift shop at the Howard County Oncology Center, the lending library at the Owen Brown Interfaith Center, and the youth ministry at South Columbia Baptist Church, who successfully used them as thank-you gifts to those making high value donations to the youth summer missions trip to Jamaica.
“Any time books are sold, I set aside all the profit, which is not much, and when I have enough I buy copies to give away,” Dozat says.
Individuals and ministries interested in purchasing the book, which costs around $10 per printed copy and around $3 in ebook format, may visit online at http://aedozat.com or https://beyondthesedarklands.blogspot.com, or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/aedozat. Feel free to email Dozat at email aedozat@gmail.com for inquires, request, and special orders.