The Ledger

By Becky Holland

COCHRAN– For more than two decades, Melanie Cravey has built her career around numbers, not words.

A longtime educator, Cravey spent 22 years teaching math—something that comes naturally to her. “I’ve never really enjoyed writing,” she said. “I’m a math and science person.”

But over time, something began to shift.

Next year, Cravey will take on a new role teaching computer science while also serving as the Future Business Leaders of America chapter advisor. It’s a step forward in her career, but her foundation was shaped long before the classroom.

A preacher’s kid, Cravey credits her father with helping form a faith that was personal and lasting.

“I loved being a preacher’s kid,” she said. “My dad was very practical and very real. He taught me how to ask questions. My faith was formed, not forced.”

She also recalls a lesson from her father’s time in seminary that stayed with her.

“He had a professor who would assign readings and tell them to read it 25 times,” she said. “It was a way to really become familiar with it and allow God to show the message. And that they had to pray each time.”

That idea—slowing down and sitting with Scripture—would later shape her own devotional.

Still, writing was never something she pursued.

“I’ve had moments where I thought I could write something meaningful,” she said. “And then the next minute, I couldn’t even finish a sentence.”

Yet during a season of deep thought and restlessness, Cravey found herself returning to Scripture in a different way.

“There were just a thousand things going on in my mind, and I was unsettled,” she said.

In that moment, a simple truth grounded her: Be still and know that I am God… I will never leave you or forsake you.

What followed wasn’t a quick project or a planned publication. Instead, it became a quiet, five-year journey shaped by prayer, reflection and persistence.

“It’s scary to write something and share it,” she said. “I started writing these devotions for myself about five years ago, and that was not an easy thing to do.”

She describes the process as anything but steady.

“I had seasons of focus and depth, and then times of silence,” she said. “I’m not a writer.”

Even so, the work continued.

At first, she envisioned a shorter devotional.

“I thought 30 weeks was fine,” she said. “Then as I kept going, I realized I had a lot more to say. I even thought about 52 weeks—but I stopped at 40.”

The turning point came after someone close to her read it.

“After my sister read it and said she felt like there was a need for something like this, I began to think maybe publishing it would be OK,” she said. “There were other little hints from God along the way.”

Deciding to publish, she said, was “a huge leap of faith.”

But the response she has received has affirmed that step.

“Getting a message from someone who’s been encouraged by it is pretty awesome,” she said. “I just pray it’s what the reader needs. I pray it brings the reader closer to God, and I pray I don’t let anyone down.”

After years of quiet work, her devotional—Jesus Isn’t a Checkbox—is now complete.

Melanie’s book is now available on Amazon and will also be available locally at Treasures on Second beginning May 16! Support a local author and grab your copy soon!

What began as something deeply personal has now become something she has chosen to share.

“I wrote it for myself,” she said. “And then I thought… why not share it?”

The 40-week devotional is designed to help readers slow down and move beyond routine faith.

“This came from a place where I realized I didn’t want faith to feel like something to complete,” she said. “I wanted it to be something I lived.”

For Cravey, the heart of the message is simple.

“I think it’s important to sit with a verse, give it time, and really meditate on it—even if that takes a week,” she said. “It’s not about how much you read. It’s about how much stays with you.”

Still, the lessons she’s learned are ones she would gladly share—especially with her younger self.

“Don’t worry about or be afraid of how things will turn out in life,” she said. “You may skip the lesson, the struggle and the preparation needed to actually handle the outcome if you already know ahead of time. Trust the Lord. Live for Him. He will give you the strength and help you need when you need it.”

She points to Proverbs 3:5-6 and Isaiah 41:10—Scriptures that continue to guide her today.

Will there be another book?

Cravey laughed.

“A cookbook maybe—I love to cook,” she said. “But no… I didn’t intend for this to be a book.”