As Christian writers, we have a war within ourselves.
Creativity can demand almost idolatrous obedience. We can worship our words,
our writerly needs, and our artistic process. Simultaneously, our belief in
Christ and the inward presence of his Spirit transform us into people who place
others first, submit our work to the Lord, and have no other gods before him.
As we begin the writing journey, this tug of war is one of
the first battles we face. How do we keep Christ first, people next, and our
work in its place? How do we let love of God and of others rule?
We start by keeping our time in God's Word prioritized and
our hearts attuned, ready to listen. His Spirit speaks to us gently, not with a
whip like our creative monster sometimes may use, demanding precedence and
obeisance.
Adapting my writing to fit the needs of my husband and
children has been a work in progress. Initially, I didn't do well, so I laid
writing aside for a season. Finally I began again, learning to stay balanced.
Within my own family, I obtain daily practice, and thus, constant improvement
in loving people ahead of task, calling, or deadline.
To help others, the Lord may have us take our writing with
us. One of a writer's greatest blessings is that, when necessary, our trade is
portable and relatively adaptable to different locations and schedules. As
always, that's easier said than done.
Writing in a different place with interruptions or
adjustments can make particular kinds of writing, such as drafting a novel,
fraught with anxiety and pressure. We then work fast and sloppy. For other
writing, such as editing, interruptions are more easily accommodated and can be
a necessary part of the process, keeping our brains sharp.
With amazing speed, I can pack my computer and go watch my
grandchildren when their parents travel. This is the type of interruption that
grandmothers love.
My husband and I live far from our parents. Adjusting my
writing to show unconditional love to our parents has been required on fewer
occasions, but these events have not been commonplace.
As I prepared my first novel to be passed to my editor in
2013, my mother-in-law was dying. Love demanded adjusting my work to meet my
husband's needs and her requests simultaneously. In order to help ease the
loss, I did everything I could to accommodate both. As a result, he vanished
for six weeks in various time chunks of traveling back and forth repeatedly,
and we made the trip twice as a family.
The grief, traveling, and family pain that accompanied the
loss of his mother caused tumultuous upheaval and a realization that I was
woefully overcommitted. After the funeral I was completely depleted and caught
Epstein Barr. The mononucleosis wiped me out, and I have yet to recover over
two years later.
When I imagined the outcome of selling my stories, I didn't
have this in mind. It definitely wasn't what I'd visualized!
But remember the promise that underlies even a believer's
tragedy. God has promised that he will orchestrate for good everything that
touches the lives of those who love him.
Remember my realization of over-commitment? Through my
illness God brought good changes into my life. All but two activities have been
eliminated. I now write, and I serve once a week in the prison. Now I can keep
up with my family and prioritize my health.
This month I am far from home with computer and chronic
health care equipment in tow.
My mother scheduled her major surgery, we scheduled my
flight, and I prepared to head out. Of course, that was the moment my second
novel returned from my content editor for my final edit. The Lord superintends
my days. No matter how it plays out, he will work this together for my good.
As you strive for balance as a writer, listen to God’s
voice. It's the gentle one. Are you learning to let love rule?
Nudged
toward evil by Satan, Cain 's hard-hearted hubris results in Abel's murder and
Lilith's broken heart when he is banished, splitting the family and propelling
mankind toward ever-increasing violence as their siblings seek revenge. Crushed
by what he's done, Cain runs, certain he's destroyed Lilith, his parents, and
the entire family. With Satan hounding his every move and no idea of the forces
arrayed against him, can Cain ever find God after he's committed a sin of such
magnitude? Can he ever be forgiven?
Melinda Viergever Inman was
raised in the tornado capital of the U.S.—Wakita, Oklahoma, of
"Twister" fame. There her parents met. There her roots were sunk in a
storytelling family. During years of relocation, tragedy struck. Wounded and
heartbroken, Melinda forsook her roots and ran from herself and from God. A
journey of trial and heartache brought her home again. A prodigal now returned
to her secure foundation, she writes with passion, illustrating God's love for
wounded people as he makes beauty from ashes. Refuge is her first novel. Melinda shepherds women in church and
in prison ministry and writes inspirational material on her biweekly blog at http://melindainman.com/blog/. With
her family she is involved with Mission India, rescuing orphans and providing
theological and job training for impoverished students— http://rimi.org/.
You can learn more and connect with Melinda here:
