Thursdays - Devotions for Writers
After a long week, my husband and I looked forward to our Friday evening together. We arrived at a local restaurant early enough to beat the rush, and after enjoying a leisurely dinner we planned to spend a quiet evening at home. Start a fire in the fireplace, watch mutual favorite TV shows taped throughout the week, relax, and enjoy each other’s company.
Sounds easy enough . . .
But it didn’t happen quite that way.
On our way home from dinner, we turned into our neighborhood to discover a fire truck blocking the street. We’d experienced a wind gust earlier that evening, and it had brought down a large tree and power line, blocking the main entrance into the area. Fortunately, my husband is familiar with many roads and how they intertwine. We were able to avoid waiting in line with the masses returning home that day by turning around and taking another way.
Just as we feared, our street was out of power. We were able to get into the house with a special garage key. I dug out flashlights and lit candles so we could maneuver around our home. My husband started one fire in the fireplace, and then another in a wood stove to keep the place warm. Cozy to be sure, but not how we wanted to spend our evening. Our plans were disrupted and both of us were disappointed. My husband went to bed early, and I read a book by flashlight. The power didn't come back on until late morning the next day.
I think it’s common to feel that same frustration when we’ve set aside time to write and our plans get thwarted.
What enemies distract you from writing? You know . . . what steals your love and joy for the writing process? What hinders it becoming as important in your life as you want it to be – as important as God desires it to be?
Your family or what may feed your spiritual life is important. You need to take time for those. But look at what you can control if you chose to, without hurting others in the process.
At the moment my enemies are feeling a lack of energy and a lack of time. I most often blame my day job, which can be very demanding of both. I can also get hooked into spending a lot of time with email and a particular social network.
But what if I gave interruptions over to the Lord to battle? What if I trusted Him to deal with my enemies? Would I find renewed energy to write, even after arriving home weary from work? Would I find extra time I didn’t expect to have that I could use to focus on my book?
Rescue me, Lord, from my enemies . . . and from myself.
Dawn
