 |
| Melinda Viergever Inman |
Seeking
Balance
How do we balance the needs of our writing careers, our
families, and our call to serve Christ in the church and in the wider
community? All are part of our calling. All are important. All are commanded.
How can we seek balance in this?
I suffer from a chronic autoimmune disease. During these
past four years of sickness, God has used this illness for great good in my
life. He has refined me, opened my eyes increasingly to the intimacy of His
nearness, and introduced me to an unseen world, one I had only vaguely
recognized.
This is the world of the homebound or sick, the ones people
have forgotten.
If we look around us in our churches or communities, if our
eyes are truly open and our hearts fully aware, we will recognize that people
we know are missing. We used to see them regularly, but now they are gone. No
announcement was made. They merely slipped away. Why?
When I sought answers, I learned that these were at home
with long-term challenges. Some were chronically ill. Others were now caring
for a family member in a similar situation. For some, old age had caught up
with them. It was now impossible to drive or to navigate getting in and out of
church. Maybe a tragedy had derailed everything.
And there are needs in our wider communities. Organizations
that do good are understaffed. All are seeking volunteers. Perhaps the county
needs people for the refugee welcome program. Maybe Meals on Wheels has a need.
Your local prison is always seeking help. The harvest is always plentiful, but
the labors are always few.
In my mostly homebound state, I came to realize the deep
love the Savior has for the sick, the isolated, the unseen. He sees us clearly.
His fellowship and supporting grace and mercy have upheld me in ways I had
never experienced before I became confined.
Simultaneously, I came to learn how even a short visit or a
small act impacts the sufferer. A one-hour visit from a friend brightens an
entire week. An offer to vacuum and dust my home lifts me up for a whole month!
Even now, a year later, it still warms my heart. A message on Facebook, a
drop-by visit to leave flowers, the offer of a meal—all of these are extremely
powerful in the life of the lonely.
Now, here's the tricky part: Application. How do we balance
our jobs, our call to write, our families, and our wider call to serve?
We learn to say, “No.” And, we learn to say, “Yes.”
For me, learning to say, “No,” was extremely difficult. I'm
a people pleaser at heart. My over-commitment and workaholic tendencies led
right into my collapse and my chronic illness. God allowed that experience to
teach me to say, “No.” Once that was in place, He began to open my eyes to
times I should still say, “Yes,” even though I'm ill.
I'm learning to listen to the gentle urging of the Holy
Spirit.
When someone or something is on your mind frequently, when
there’s a soft, tender, but recurring nudge toward a person or a need, God is
speaking. Learn to hear His voice. Open your eyes to the opportunity to act. It
will come. And when it does, act.
Ask Jesus for help. Don't talk yourself out of it. Simply do
it. May it’s praying. Maybe it’s going. Then wait for future urging, and do it
again. The Lord will keep it all in balance, and you will fulfill your calling.
Go forth and love others. Follow the Savior.
Releasing
July 2017!
 |
| No Longer Alone |
Manhood
arrived prematurely. At the tender age of fifteen, Prentis lost both his father
and his confidence that God loved him. He grew up fast after that day,
abandoning his education to take on the responsibility and hardship of
supporting his mother and siblings.
Now, in
Prentis’s twenties, Avery reenters his life. A Sunday School teacher with a
passion for learning and theology, she is intelligent with a captivating
spirit. Prentis finds her irresistible. The audacity of attempting to court
such a woman in no way weakens his resolve. He’s determined to win her heart.
But male competition, vicious gossip, Avery’s unspoken fears, and the ruin of
his livelihood hinder his efforts. How can Prentis win her? And if he does, how
will they overcome their differences, the hard life on the Oklahoma plains, and
a world at war?
Set in
1913-1916, No Longer Alone is based on a true story.
Raised on the Oklahoma plains in a storytelling family,
Melinda now spins tales from her writer's cave in the Midwest. Her fiction
illustrates our human story, wrestling with our brokenness and the storms that
wreak havoc in our lives. Find her at MelindaInman.com.
Connections:
Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Melinda-V-Inman/189731601076470
Website: http://melindainman.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MelindaVInman
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/melindavinman/
