The Best in This Moment

When I wrote Mob Rule Learning, it was the longest piece of writing I had undertaken at that time. Before that, the bulk of my writing had been articles and blog posts. The glory of writing for the web is the constant feedback, discussion, and metamorphoses a conversation can undergo in hours, days, or months. Writing long form non-fiction was painful because it is like writing in an echo chamber. I spent a lot of time wondering, “What the heck do I know any way?” and “Does this tripe even make sense?”

Since then, I have completed three fiction manuscripts and I have one WIP (work in progress). The process of writing the first draft of fiction is wonderful. I love the worlds I have created and I love the process of weaving words together.

I took the next step and found an editor I thought would mesh well with my writing and my goals and who would challenge me. I am now in the middle of development revisions for the first book in a series I want to release next year and I have learned something valuable.

This stage of fiction writing is just as painful as writing long form non-fiction.

The reasons are different for each type, but it boils down to the same questions, “What the heck do I know?” and “Does this tripe even make sense?”

In facing these questions again, but for different reasons this time, I know that no matter what kind of stuff you write, if you are author, you spend time wrestling with these questions. The secret is to get past them quickly because they can mire you in indecision and immobilize your brain.

This morning, when you sit down to do the thing you do (write, teach, cook, lead, or change the world) be the best you can be today, this moment, and keep pushing forward. If we do it right, each moment teaches us something new and wonderful and each moment we improve.

Development revisions are painful and I have spent the last week pulling out my hair, but I want what comes at the end, a better book, and so I persevere.

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?

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?

 

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?