Do you often find yourself overloaded and out of time? Do
you feel an urge to write, feel God’s Spirit sparking stories within you, but
can’t fathom how to snatch a few moments to put those ideas to paper? Or maybe
you consistently give so much of yourself to everyone else, when you do sit
down to write, there’s nothing left. You’ve got nothing else to give.
Perhaps, trying to juggle your schedule and commitments,
you’ve even begun to get frustrated at God. Surely if He called you to this
writing thing, He’d finagle a way to give you time to actually, well, write.
Maybe He has.
Could it be that
you’ve taken on things you were never meant to?
God doesn’t intend for us to live stressed out and
frustrated, therefore, when those angst-filled feelings arise, chances are,
we’ve ventured away from His will. We’ve either veered off course somewhere,
are trying to do things on our own, or we’ve allowed our pride, our fears, or a
host of other negative emotions to get in our way.
Some of you know instantly what I’m talking about and can
already envision what, precisely, is robbing you of your writing time. For the
rest of us, I suggest we prayerfully consider if our true struggle lies with
one of the following:
People pleasing.
This seems like an innocent weakness, if not a “likeable”
one—at least, for all those whom we’re pleasing, but Paul made it clear in
Galatians 1:10 that we cannot be people pleasers if we want to be servants of
Christ. In other words, don’t put
someone else’s opinions, feelings, or expectations above God’s.
Lack of prioritizing.
Each day, we’re bombarded with countless opportunities. It’s
easy to jump on those things that squeal the loudest or perhaps that are most
easily engaged in. Other times, we simply haven’t evaluated and then
prioritized all of the activities we engage in. We can do a lot of really great things, but if God’s not calling us to
them, they’re likely hindering our obedience.
In order to make time for writing, we may have to let
something else go.
Negative thinking.
Writing is tough, and the journey for even the most talented
is filled with setbacks, rejections, and steep uphill climbs. Negative thinking
is counterproductive and a complete waste of time. Every moment that we’re feeding our fears, insecurities, and doubts,
we’re taking precious time we could be using to write. More than that, negativity is a muse killer, while joy
and peace causes creativity to soar. If
we want to be successful, we’ll take full control of our thoughts.
Are you having trouble finding that time? Do you have any tips to add to the above?
~~~~~~
Author, speaker, and ministry
leader Jennifer Slattery writes for Crosswalk.com and is the managing and
acquiring editor for Guiding Light Women’s Fiction, an imprint with Lighthouse
Publishing of the Carolinas. She believes fiction has the power to transform
lives and change the culture. Healing Love is her sixth novel, and it was
birthed during a trip she and her family took to El Salvador that opened her
eyes to the reality of generational poverty and sparked a love for orphans and
all who’ve experienced loss.
Her deepest passion is to help
women experience God’s love and discover, embrace, and live out who they are in
Christ. As the founder of Wholly Loved Ministries, she travels with her team to
various churches to speak to women and help them experience the love and
freedom only Christ can offer. When not writing, editing, or speaking, you’ll
likely find her chatting with her friends or husband in a quiet, cozy
coffeehouse. Visit her online at JenniferSlatteryLivesOutLoud.com and connect
with her and her Wholly Loved team at WhollyLoved.com,
Healing
Love
Genre:
Women’s fiction with a strong romantic thread
Dual
setting—Southern California, and El Salvador
Blurb:
A news anchor intern has it all planned out, and love isn't on
the agenda.
Brooke Endress is on the cusp of her lifelong dream when her
younger sister persuades her to chaperone a mission trip to El Salvador.
Packing enough hand sanitizer and bug spray to single-handedly wipe out
malaria, she embarks on what she hopes will be a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
But Brooke is blindsided by the desperation for hope and love
she sees in the orphans’ eyes. And no less by the connection she feels with her
handsome translator. As newfound passion blooms, Brooke wrestles with its
implications for her career dreams.
Ubaldo Chavez, teacher and translator, knows the struggle that
comes with generational poverty. But he found the way out – education – and is
determined to help his students rise above.
When he agrees to translate for a mission team
from the United States he expects to encounter a bunch of "missional
tourists" full of empty promises. Yet an American news anchor defies his
expectations, and he finds himself falling in love. But what does he have to
offer someone with everything?Find it on Amazon in mid-July and on Goodreads now.
