HAVERHILL — Elaine Barker never leaves home without several copies of her favorite faith-based book stuffed into her pocketbook.
It’s a very small book that has attracted a big following, mostly due to Barker, who after discovering the little red book she began handing out copies to people she encounters and are willing to share their burdens and worries.
A devout Catholic whose life is immersed in spirituality and has an unshakable faith in God, Barker says the 70-page “Keep Calm and Trust God” has not only become her daily reader, but it has also brought comfort to those she’s given it to.
Since 2015, she’s handed out more than 500 copies and just received another shipment of 25. She uses the book as a vehicle for sharing her faith.
“Every morning before I leave my bedroom I kneel down and I open the book to a random page and read it,” said Barker, 87, a long-time All Saints Parish member. “It seems there is something there that I’ve read before and gets me through the day. It’s like a spiritual daily vitamin.”
Written by Jake Provance and his father Keith Provance, “Keep Calm and Trust God” contains just 12 short chapters, each offering spiritual guidance for those struggling with concerns such as anxiety, depression, regret, stress and fear of the future. The authors don’t bog down the reader with wordy responses, but instead ask the reader to turn to prayer while citing biblical passages that relate to each area of worry and emphasizing to the reader to “Trust God.”
Barker shares her faith in many ways, but never to the point where she sounds like she’s preaching or forcing her faith onto anyone. Chances are if you bump into her, she always has a kind word or two and will always end a conversation with “God bless you” along with a hug.
“A few months ago they passed one million in sales,” she said. “And last month they sold 40,000 copies. The authors just can’t believe the way their book has sold.”
Back in 2015, Barker was shopping at the CVS in Lafayette Square and was perusing the book rack when she spotted the little red book.
“I bought a copy and when I got home I glanced at it then set it aside with my other Christian books,” she said. “When the pandemic hit, I needed something to bring me comfort so I went to my stack of books and sitting at the top was this book. I picked it up and read a few chapters that talked about stress and worry.”
The words inside carried such meaning that Barker returned to the CVS but the copies were all sold out.
“I contacted the distributor and ordered five copies,” she said. “I was so touched by the effect it had on my life that I gave out the copies to people I ran into and who talked about COVID and its effect on their lives. I told them I have a book that could take some stress out of their lives. So I ordered 25 more copies and gave them out over the next few months.
“I can be anywhere, such as a store, a Chamber event, a celebration or a cemetery and since I’m a good listener, I focus on what people are saying as people love to talk about their problems. Sometimes people just need someone to talk to.”
She has encountered mostly positive reactions from people she hands copies to. The opportunities are everywhere as she attends so many local events, including Chamber of Commerce events, awards and recognition programs, festivals, church gatherings and more. As a member of the Haverhill Exchange Club, you’ll find her at their weekly luncheon meetings. If there’s something happening around the city, Barker is usually there bringing her own style of light and happiness into a room.
“When someone has a problem, or there’s a sickness, or they have a family member they are worried about, I just listen,” she said. “And when the opportunity arises, I’ll tell them you seem very stressed and worried and that I have this wonderful booklet I’m sure can help you. I only give them out to people who talk about having a problem and I feel the book can help.”
While attending a bridal conference in North Carolina in 2022 as part of her work with her company Paper Pot Pourri, a custom maker of stationary, she was in a cafe at her hotel and noticed an elderly man who appeared to be alone and lonely.
“I saw that he had a pile of books and that one had the word Jesus on the cover,” she said. “I struck up a conversation and he told me about a problem with a family member who had attempted suicide. I told him I have a wonderful little book and will you accept it? Since then I continue to receive text messages from the man.”
She said she carries several copies in her pocketbook, just in case.
“It’s not that I go looking for people to hand them to, it just happens,” she said. “This book helps me to accept the trials and tribulations in life.”
Barker’s faith in God has brought her on many pilgrimages, including to a village called Medjugorje, in Bosnia-Herzegovina, which she visited in 2022.
“I prayed a lot and climbed Apparition Hill while hobbling with a cane due to foot surgery the year before, and which has since healed,” she said. “I also submitted prayer petitions from people I know and who requested certain prayers.”
She’s been to the Holy Land twice to visit the place of Jesus’ birth and crucifixion and other holy sites, and last year she visited religious sites in Italy.
Barker said she initially purchased the books for the retail price of $4.99, but for the past four years she obtains them at a discount from Keith Provance, who lives in Oklahoma.
“I often write to him to tell him about situations that led to my handing out a copy,” she said. “During one phone conversation I reminded him that he’d included a poem by John Greenleaf Whittier, who was born in Haverhill, and over time he’s learned a lot about Haverhill’s history, which I’m happy to talk to him about.”
“This little book speaks to common things people struggle with and is written in such a simple way that it doesn’t overwhelm the reader,” she said.
“It’s very easy to understand. I also like the sayings from well known people. I have other books but I’m not addicted to them as I am to this book and the message it brings to me. It doesn’t solve all problems, but it helps understand and accept things. Instead of feeling sorry for ourselves, we must accept, and of course God is always here to help us.”