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| Sherry Carter |
Have you ever questioned your calling to write? Doubted your
abilities? Today on Seriously Write,
author Sherry Carter shares
her journey to publication and how God didn’t accept “no” for an answer. Enjoy
her fun story!
~ Dawn
The Reluctant Writer
I never wanted to be a writer. I didn’t start writing as a
child and I didn’t dream of publishing books, like other writers I know.
I’m this weird mix of biologist and engineer. I love
biology, research, as well as designing experiments and equipment. Words? Not
so much.
During the years from 2003-2005, I walked through a
rapid-fire series of catastrophic events, the last one being laid off from my
job as a biomedical engineer at Johnson Space Center. In the following few
months, I heard God’s call to write a Bible study describing my journey with
Him through those events. My response was, “Are You crazy? I’m an engineer!
Engineers don’t write softy-feely things like Bible studies. We write technical
manuals.” He didn’t give up; I didn’t
stop arguing.
In May of 2006, after being hounded unmercifully by family
and friends, I attended the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference
at Ridgecrest N.C. I went armed with a long list of reasons why I couldn’t
write and believed I could convince Him He’d made a mistake. During the
conference, I realized God wasn’t going to bend—but neither was I.
In the following year, I made a meager attempt at writing
three chapters, three chapters I was certain were horrible. As the 2007
conference approached, I submitted them for a critique, convinced God would see
how bad they were and come to His senses. Can you spell
D-E-N-S-E? For an extra ten dollars, I entered my chapters
into a contest. I gave it the title, Sheltered
during the Storm, and off it went.
Then came awards night. My sister was positive my study
would win; I thought she was crazy. I was flabbergasted when it won first place
winner in the Bible study category. When it also won the Award for Excellence
in Christian Literature, I almost passed out.
Trust me, my study didn’t win because it was the greatest—it
won because I have frying-pan syndrome: God says, “do this,” I say no. God
says, “do it,” I say no. Eventually He picks up a frying pan and bops me in the
head with it. Those awards were the frying pan: “You can’t write but I can. So
shut up and do it!” All I could say was, “Yes, Sir!”
In December 2010, my study, titled Life Principles for the Storms of Life, was published as part of
AMG Publishers Following God© Bible Study Series.
So…I’m a writer. A reluctant, rebellious, stubborn writer.
One who never dreamed of being a writer. One who’s still trying to talk God out
of the idea. But, one called to be a writer, nonetheless. As I work on my
second study, I wonder what new journey God has in store for me.
Tweetables:
Sherry Carter didn’t want to be a writer, but God had other
plans. Click to tweet.
Engineers don’t write softy-feely things like Bible
studies—or do they? Click to tweet.
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| Life Principles for the Storms of Life |
Life Principles for the Storms of Life is an eight-week Following
God Bible study that leads women through dark days using the analogy of a
storm: preparing as the clouds gather, walking through the intense storm, and
picking up the pieces after the crisis has passed. Readers are guided to apply
God's Word to their difficult situations, allowing them to resolve their anger
and bitterness. Finally, they’re encouraged to find strength in Scripture,
challenged to seek God's purpose and perspective in a time to suffering, and
inspired to draw close to Him for strength and healing.
Sherry
Carter is slowly, painstakingly being reformed from an engineer
into a Bible study author. Her study, Life Principles for the Storms of Life,
published in December 2010 by AMG, won first place in the Bible study category
and the Award for Excellence in Christian Literature at the 2007 Blue Ridge
Mountains Christian Writers Conference.
Sherry and her husband live in west Texas in service to
their adopted greyhound. Her daughters and grandchildren live much too far
away.
To learn more, please visit:
