Wednesday, March 9, 2016

My 3-D Life by Gail Johnson

Waiting is hard, especially when you have that dream that seems to be put on hold for a reason you can't understand. Today, Gail Johnson shares her experience with the three Ds. -- Sandy

Gail: Last year I watched my twenty-three-year-old son struggle with the path the Lord was asking him to follow. Each day he traversed the same timbered trails while crying and seeking answers. Weeks later while praying with him, I heard the Lord whisper, “I’m not late, and you’re not behind.”

I repeated what I had heard to my son, who chuckled even while the tears continued streaming down his face. At this point in time, I must admit I was beginning to question God’s timing myself. Yet here we were being assured that we were not behind and God was not late.

The Lord recently reminded me of His words.

In 2005, I could no longer ignore the tugging of my heart to write. I enrolled in a creative writing class and began crafting short stories. Two years later, I began a Christian fiction novel, My Desire, Chronicles of Adora. In 2009, I enrolled in the two-year Apprentice Course at CWG. But life didn’t go as planned.

Disappointments
In 2010, as my husband and I struggled with major health issues our marriage stalled as we grew apart. Something we had thought impossible before. Between the angry outbursts and the silent days, I struggled to write about happily-ever-after. Eventually, I stored the manuscript and walked away.

Delays
In 2014, I began hearing my characters once more. Finally with my marriage back on track, I enrolled in the Journeyman’s Course and began working again on My Desire. I was even planning a prequel! But it wasn’t to be…not yet. The Lord asked me to write my current WIP, a creative non-fiction piece of heartache and healing—defeat and triumph. Hello, You (Working title) is scheduled to be published this year.

Detours
Detours are like flies. Often annoying. But as I crafted this story, I traveled back through the past forty years of my life—something I had avoided for decades—and found disappointments, delays, and detours scattered throughout. Yet, without them, I could not have written this book.

I have come to appreciate my 3-D life. For a while, I thought them to be stumbling blocks. But to my surprise, they have proven to be building blocks that bring my stories to life.

And so, as I sit pounding the keyboard toward my deadline, I am reminded nothing is ever as it seems at first glance. God is always up to something. He is never late. And in the end, we are never behind.

Has God ever shown you that His timing is not yours? Have you experienced the 3 Ds?

~~~~~


Gail Johnson writes inspirational stories and songs to encourage her readers and listeners. She is currently working on a creative nonfiction story scheduled for publication this year. She is a retired homeschool teacher and cosmetologist. She is also a fighter, blogger, reader, music lover, amateur carpenter, and four-wheeler rider. Visit her at:
Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/GailJohnson87/