It’s only 10.30 am and I’m having a great day. Who says Friday the 13th is unlucky? I don’t believe in that nonsense. I believe in God and his promises.
And I just had a breakthrough of understanding how to live in his promises. I just read something about Abram, whose name was changed to Abraham. God promised he would have a jillion descendants, if you remember. But then years went by and he and his wife got old and past it, and kind of gave up on ever seeing such an amazing promise fulfilled. But God keeps his word, and he showed up and renamed Abram. His new name, Abraham, meant ‘father of multitudes’. With a new name with such meaning, Abraham believed the promise wholeheartedly and God fulfilled it.
For me, this could be a long story, too. For years I have written, articles and books. It has been undertaken prayerfully, and while the articles have found publication, the books have largely languished. However, God gave me a promise, several years ago now, about one of them. That he would get it published. I’ve been a bit like Abraham on this. I’ve sat back and waited, and nothing happened. I’ve sent out a load of query letters and sample chapters, and got them rejected. Then I’ve sat back and waited again. Then I went to a Christian writers’ conference and met some editors. They expressed interest; I sent off the book(s) – there were more than just the one – and then they were rejected. I’ve sat back and waited again.
And in the meantime, when I get asked, as you do sometimes, what I do, I’ve floundered around. Oh, I sort of write a few articles that get published. I look after my family and the home, and our small B&B. I head off twice a year to see my mother. When the question comes from a woman who is pursuing a worthy-sounding career, like a research scientist, I have felt dejected. I have fallen under the power of the world’s weight of expectation that unless you are making money at what you do, it isn’t really worthwhile. I have really annoyed my husband with this sagging self-image. And I imagine that I have really annoyed God, too.
Because though he hasn’t given me a new name, he did give me that promise. It was validated by others who had the same message.
So, today is a great day. It is Friday the 13th, and I believe the promises of God. I am a Christian writer.
Who are you?
No comments:
Post a Comment