Category: Devotionals

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Whatever the Circumstance

This is part of an ongoing series of devotionals for writers.

Not that I speak from want; I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. – Paul writing to the Philippians 4:11

I am stuck in the middle of revisions. I have been floundering since I started this step in the writing process. My brain, which normally has no problem with words, has turned to mush. Needless to say, I have not been content in my writing life.

A couple of weeks ago, I attended the launch party for Chasing the Lion. This book and its author had a long way to publication. Nancy Kimball is one of the most amazing ladies I know and I am truly blessed to have her as a friend. I smiled all day for her and for many days after. She reminds me that no road is easy, but we still have to make the right choices and be thankful.

At Nancy’s party, I was also able to reconnect with other authors I know and meet some new ones. We are all at different stages in our lives and careers, but we have two things in common: a love of the written word and a love for the Lord. These encounters reminded me why I write. They each, in their own way, encouraged me to persevere. I had forgotten, in my battle with revisions, to be thankful for where I am.

I have everything to be thankful for and I neglected in the past weeks to find contentment in my circumstance. When I pause to consider where I started, how far I have come, and where I have yet to go, I am excited and thankful. I am content.

For you: In what ways have you let daily frustrations rob you of contentment? What can you be thankful for today?

For your characters: When they face a frustration, what is their reaction? How do they handle a situation for which they feel unequipped? What will it take to make your character feel contentment or even joy in their circumstance?

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Whom shall I fear?

This is part of an ongoing series of devotionals for writers.

The Lord is my light and my salvation;
Whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the defense of my life;
Whom shall I dread?
When evildoers came upon me to devour my flesh,
My adversaries and my enemies, they stumbled and fell.
Though a host encamp against me,
My heart will not fear;
Though war arise against me,
In spite of this I shall be confident.
Psalm 27:1-3

Memorizing scripture comes up often enough in different classes I have taken over the years. My response has always been, “I don’t want to,” which is a terrible attitude in general. A close friend memorized the entire book of James last year and she said it changed her life. It was the last nail in the coffin of my excuses.

I am starting with what has come to be my life’s verse, or rather verses. Some people claim a verse, I claim the entire chapter 27 of Psalms, as my guide. I know it is a bit excessive, but each part has resonated with me at different times. Last week, I started with the first verse of my favorite Psalm.

“Whom shall I fear?”

We fear many things, some real, some imagined. I am scared of the dark, still at thirty-six, and I find myself walking faster through dark halls. I am scared of my own failings, that I will allow my faults to define who I am becoming.

We fear death, our own and of those we love. We fear pain and failure. Sometimes, we fear the truth and the consequences it holds. We fear the scars and baggage we carry from our past experiences. Our entire lives can be wrapped in fear of one thing or another.

Fear has the ability to rob us of what we should be enjoying. It robs us of peace and thankfulness.

“The Lord is my light and my salvation…”

Faith is our light in the darkness. It is our salvation in a world bursting with things to fear. Our anxiety and fears should be handed over the the Lord because all we have comes from Him. In Him, we can find strength and courage to face what comes for us.

I am still afraid of the dark most nights, but I know where my strength comes from.

For you:

What fears are keeping you from living your full life? Turn them over to God and look for one way to step out of our fear this week.

For your character:

What is their greatest fear? What is the origin of this fear? Are they forced, over the course of the plot, to confront their fear? When presented with the opportunity to overcome it, do they? If not, what are the consequences for them and for others?

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Gathering Fruit

This is part of a series of devotionals for writers.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other. -Galatians 5:22-26

I will be honest. I struggle with this passage. All these things, these fruits which are the natural out flowing of our love for the Lord, are hard for me.

I struggle with loving people who are mean. I struggle to find joy in an afternoon of housework. I struggle to have forbearance, also known as patience, every moment of every day. I struggle to be kind to people who say hurtful things. I struggle with having faith when the process becomes long and hard. I struggle with being gentle when my spirit tells me to charge in and take control. I struggle with keeping my big mouth shut when a little self control would save me from some apologies later.

It is hard to harvest these fruits.

I can say though that I am better than I used to be. I have more patience than I used to when presented with an opportunity to be impatient. I choose to keep my mouth shut more often. I have more self-control. I find more moments in my day where I notice the peace, joy, and love around me and then I turn and show that to others with my words and actions.

I do not always choose the right thing, but I make better choices more often than I used to. I will never be perfect, but God does not ask perfection of me. He only asks that I try with my whole heart and that I improve over time. He asks that, in striving towards Him and becoming like Him, I grow into a better version of myself.

For you: Are you making better choices today than five years ago? If yes, say a prayer of thanksgiving and ask for new ways you can change and grow. If not, what one small thing can you do this week to make a change?

For your character: What thing on this list of fruits is hardest for them and why? Does the plot force them to confront their fault and do they grow as a result? Do they lose something, a relationship or opportunity, because of this fault? How do they deal with the loss?

 

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Justice, Kindness, and Humility

This is part of an ongoing series of devotionals for writers.

He has told you, O man, what is good;
And what does the Lord require of you
But to do justice, to love kindness,
And to walk humbly with your God?
Micah 6:8

The Lord requires we do justice. It means helping those who have fallen and speaking up for those without a voice. It means seeking justice for others when they cannot but it also means acting with justice towards others. Sometimes it means extending grace and forgiveness to someone who does not deserve it. It may mean making a hard choice because it is right and then facing a storm of consequences.

The Lord requires we love kindness. Kindness is actions and words which place value on other people and not ourselves. It means speaking words which edify and not destruct. It means reaching out and offering a warm embrace to the lonely, clothing the naked, and feeding the hungry. It means we love to do kindness more than our need to be comfortable or serve ourselves.

The Lord requires we walk humbly before Him. This is the toughest one for me. It means laying aside my pride and humbling myself before Him. It means submitting to His authority and doing what is right in His eyes which is love Him and love others. It means looking to serve instead of be served. It means looking for ways to love others instead of seeking love for myself. It means I am not the center of the universe.

For you:

Which is hardest for you, justice, kindness, or humility? What is one practical way you can extend justice, kindness, or humility to someone else this week?

For your character:

What do they do when they see injustice done to someone they love? What if the person is a stranger? Does it change their reaction and subsequent actions?

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Choosing Love

Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. Ephesians 4:29-32

Jesus told us to love one another. Paul is imploring the Ephesians in this passage to “be kind and compassionate, forgiving each other.” We are told again and again we are to love, forgive, and be kind. We are told often because we fail so often at these things which we know to be right. We know treating others with compassion and love is the best way to live and yet we choose other ways. We choose bitterness, rage, anger, malice, and slander. We choose things which tear down, break other’s spirits, and ultimately hurt ourselves in the process.

Someone comes along who tries our patience. Our children throw tantrums and work on every last nerve we own. People we love hurt us. People we do not know wound us. Life is full of hurts and pains and yet we are asked to react opposite of our sinful natures.

Love each other when there is no reason to do so. Forgive each other when the hurts are great. Build each other up. Show compassion when it is unasked for. These are the actions which should set believers apart and yet so seldom do because we fail to be obedient to our calling. Choose obedience today and love someone you encounter.

For you: In what ways are failing to be obedient to God by not showing love, compassion, or forgiveness to another?

For your characters: When confronted with a person who is hard to love, how do they react? With impatience, kindness, or stony silence? When your character is hurt by another, do they forgive easily or hold a grudge? Does your character have a past hurt which has caused a festering bitterness in their life? Are they aware of this bitterness or has it crept into their life over time?

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Writer’s Devotional: Actions Yell

You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand and they shall be as frontals on your forehead. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates. Deuteronomy 6:5-9

When my oldest son was about three, he was getting dressed with my husband one morning. He said, “Daddy, I take off my shirt just like you.” He then removed his little t-shirt in an exact imitation of his father. Before that moment, I could not have told you the movements my husband makes when he removes his shirt, but my three year old could. My husband was floored. He knew our sons were watching him but he had no idea how closely they watch every little thing we do.

When the Lord gave the Ten Commandments to the Israelites in the desert, He told them to put the words on their hearts. They were to think of them every moment of every day. They were to talk about them with their children. They were to be such a part of their lives that they were like the air they breathed.

God asked this of them because He knew two things, denying yourself and living for the love of God and others is contrary to our nature and thus it is hard. We fail often. Secondly, He knew that their children would be watching.

The Israelites were surrounded by people whose cultures were different and contrary to their own. There were many other people their children could learn from. It was not enough that the parents taught their children the words themselves, they had make their actions match the words.

Love the Lord. Love others. Simple words. Complex actions. Actions our children watch us perform everyday whether we succeed or fail.

For you:

In what area do you find it a challenge to line up your actions with the things you teach your children? Where do you fall short of the love God and love others command?

For your characters:

If your character has/had children, what would they want to pass on to them as fundamental truths about life? Are there things they say they believe, but their actions do not line up? Is there a moment where they realize their hypocrisy and do they take steps to rectify their behavior?

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Introducing the Writer’s Chat and Devotionals

When I first started taking workshops and reading online about the craft of writing, I was struck by how little I knew. Hooray, more learning! Like any good librarian (my career prior to children), I started researching, devouring, and testing out different methods. Librarians also loathe to keep information to themselves.

Much of the advice about the craft of writing online is “Do what is right for you” and “Follow the rules” which is closely followed by “There are no rules.” The advice usually ends with a list of books to read on craft. I longed for something grittier and practical. I want a discussion about some of the stuff I am learning. And by discussion, I mean I need to write some of this out so I can understand it better. I am a writer. It is what I do. I write to understand.

Starting tomorrow, I am going to post every other week (that is my goal, hold me to it!) on a writing topic covering something I have learned about the craft or the industry or something I have found that works for me.

On alternating weeks, I am going to continue a series I started on my family blog of devotionals for writers. They are small devotionals whirch pose questions both to you personally and to your characters. They are an alternative to understanding different aspects of your characters’ personalities outside of a standard GMC (Goal, Motivation, and Conflict) chart.

I hope you will come on this journey with me and share some things along the way.