Several years and many pages later, I came up with a story that did not bring glory to God. It was a story out of my own mind with no thought or intent to glorify the Lord, I didn’t intend to not glorify Him, but just started writing this story. Then I got stuck in the middle of it and I couldn’t figure out what happened and why I was suddenly stymied. It wasn’t common writer’s block; it was more like I’d suddenly lost the ability to write.
And then it hit me. I realized the story was not bringing glory to God. I broke a promise to Him. Ecclesiastes 5:4-5 tells us that it’s better not to make any promise to God than to promise and not follow through; and so I completely deleted it and learned a very good lesson that day, or so I thought.
Just recently I confessed to John that I’d been wondering if I sometimes ought not to write about something other than my faith. It seemed to me as I was thinking about this and talking to him that people would tire of me always writing about this subject. I told him that as I thought about this, I couldn’t come up with a single thing interesting to talk about other than my faith.
While I contemplated this, I suddenly realized I was about to make the same mistake I’d made years earlier. I realized there is nothing else worthwhile to write about other than giving God glory and honor and writing about the absolute most important aspect of my life: my relationship with the Lord.
He has done so much for me and for my family, how could I ever be tempted to write about anything other than Him? It’s because of Him that I am sitting at my desk writing. He has fulfilled my dreams to be a writer. More importantly, He kept me safe during my rebellion. If it wasn’t for the Lord keeping me safe, I am certain I would be in an unknown grave somewhere between here and the west coast.
Then in every step of our marriage, God has been the one to provide our needs, using tools such as jobs, other people, and situations to provide our needs. Our children never went hungry a day in their childhood. They might not have liked what there was to eat, but they never went without a meal.
And God is still providing. As I have written before, I lost my job in December. He’s been providing for us, using a heavenly accounting system John and I just don’t understand. I am able to be at home as a writer, and soon I believe the Lord will be showing us, through Empower Network and through other means, how to use my writing skills to provide the extra income we may need to accomplish His will.
True success is not what man knows as success, true success in life has nothing to do with monetary gains. True success is to be the person God has made us to be. Sometimes to be that person, one needs to live in a house the occupants refer to as “The Projects”. To be truly successful sometimes means that person must have an illness. Sometimes, to be truly successful, someone must become a martyr. None of these things sound pleasant, but God promises that in our weaknesses, He makes us strong. In our weaknesses His mighty arm accomplishes much so that all those who know us say, “The hand of God is on their lives.” And we do things that no one could do without the hand of God.
With God, all things are possible and because of God’s goodness, you are reading this blog. And here, publically, I renew my vow:
My writing, whether fiction or non-fiction will always glorify the Lord and tell people about the salvation Jesus brings.
Interestingly, this morning I read a verse in Malachi that took me completely by surprise. I don't know how the Lord does this; I don't want to know. I love the mystery.
"Then those who feared the Lord spoke with each other, and the Lord listened to what they said. In his presence, a scroll of remembrance was written to record the names of those who feared him and always thought about the honor of his name. 'They will be my people,' says the Lord of Heaven's Armies. 'On the day when I act in judgment, they will be my own special treasure. I will spare them as a father spares an obedient child. Then you will again see the difference between the righteous and the wicked, between those who serve God and those who do not.'"
Malachi 3:16-18
And just so: those who love the Lord with all their heart and soul, and love their neighbors as themselves and those who seek to honor God in every aspect of their lives have a special blessing. Each of these who live as Jesus lived will find a special blessing in their lives no matter what health or economic situation they find themselves in. Thanks be to God!
Thank you Father, for granting me the dream of my childhood to write. May my words always glorify you in all my writing, and if they don’t, please take the writing away from me. In Jesus Name, Amen.