Today we’d like to introduce you to Benton Thompson III.
Hi Benton, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I was staying at a Jameson Inn hotel while working out of town because I had just begun a new job on a long-term project. Despite getting this new opportunity, my life was a mess. Back home, my marriage was falling apart, which is why I took this assignment in the first place. Some of the co-workers on my new job were racist and to top it off, I hated the community that I was living in. Things were pretty bad, and I was seeking some answers to help me cope with what I was going through. I looked over and saw a Gideon’s bible that was left on the hotel nightstand and began reading in Genesis about Adam.
I read how God gave him a job, a mate, and a place to live. His job was just to tend this garden in a place called Eden, but his deal seemed a lot better than mine and I wondered why. As I read on, I saw that whatever God told him to do he did. Then came an epiphany; all my life I had been trying to do my own thing and did not really consult God. Adam, on the other hand, did what God told him to do, which made God responsible for his livelihood. I knew that I was not the only person who could use this kind of information and began writing my first book, Why Men Hunt, which incidentally is not just for men. I realized that we are all hunting for something; a job, a partner, our purpose, or maybe something we couldn’t even express yet. In this book, as well as the additional ten that I wrote after that, I share the life lessons that I learned in hopes that it might help others who are going through the same things. I believe knowledge is what we hope to gain from our experiences, but wisdom is what we can freely receive just by listening to the experiences of someone else. I share my knowledge with others, so they can operate with wisdom in their experiences. Each book represents a lesson learned in my life. My recent book, CLOSE, tells of the hope that I found after the dark time I went through after losing my sister to ovarian cancer. I have traveled to several countries and have met a great many people, so my works cover a wide range of experiences. Even though the world has more than 7 billion people in it, we still all share similar experiences. So I write and speak to offer wisdom to others.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
My road has rarely been smooth and easy. There have been a lot of bumps, detours and blind curves that you couldn’t see around. Much like any adventure that you start, it requires your conviction and commitment to your vision. There is a saying that goes, “you don’t know what you don’t know.” I didn’t know how much it was going to cost me, any publishers, any editors, or any agents. I certainly didn’t know anything about marketing or selling my books. All I had was the faith that I had written a good message to help others and a belief that someone, somewhere, would help me get it in their hands. I still hold true to that same simple confession today, some eighteen years later. Lord help me get these messages to all those who need them wherever they are in the world.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I love books. I love how they feel and the knowledge they can reveal. That is why I am an author and speaker so that I can share my stories and life lessons with people wherever I go. I believe that there is nothing new under the sun, and we all share similar challenges. My books and talks are designed to help inspire and encourage others to be the best versions of themselves. I believe faith plays an essential role in that development. I have always been a person who would not settle for the traditional canned answers to life’s big questions. I am a Seeker. I look and dig deep for the truth. I write for other Seekers of the Truth. I share the truth about living a life of faith in God in very practical and easy to apply methods. I desire to demystify much of what we have heard and been taught about God. Faith is not logical, but it can be practical. I am most proud of the fact that I have been able to help some orphaned children believe in love again, some homeless families know there are still valuable and vital, and many others realize they are Divinely Dysfunctional and Unique on Purpose.
Where do you see things going in the next 5-10 years?
I believe that we will have more opportunities in the future, like the current pandemic, to grow in our faith. Many of the familiar and historical resources for encouragement will not be as readily accessible as they have been. Our faith will become even more essential in our daily lives. Faith in ourselves, faith in our communities, faith in humanity and faith in God. Our Voyage experiences will reveal that we have more in common than we believed.
Pricing:
- Why Men Hunt – $10.00
- Sons of God – $10.00
- Divinely Dysfunctional – $14.95
- CLOSE, Draw Near – $19.99
Contact Info:
- Email: info@bentonthompsoniii.com
- Website: www.BentonThompsonIII.com
- Instagram: @Bentonthompsoniii
- Facebook: Facebook.com/BentonThompsonIII/
- Twitter: @BentonTThompson
- Youtube: www.youtube.com/channel/UCArESOKvXZvPvslRyOdNZ2A
- SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/user-59776687
Image Credits:
Atlanta Hollywood Headshots – Michael Justice Gospel PR – Cartiay McCoy
