A new year has begun, but perhaps this start doesn’t feel fresh to you.
Perhaps you’ve experienced a loss or faced a difficult life event. Or maybe, a string of both has you knotted up.
Or rather than hardships, you’ve simply taken on something new. You’ve moved. You’ve started a new job. Perhaps gotten married or had a child. Your priorities have shifted, and you’re still not quite sure how to fit everything in.
Or maybe it's nothing so striking. Battle-weariness can creep up slowly, too, so we might not notice our exhaustion so much until we're presented with the extra challenge of tackling something new, like making a resolution.
The calendar marches on, and everyone talks about fresh starts and resolutions, but the thought of trying to better yourself or launch your writing to new levels could bring tears to your eyes.
On the one hand, I’m imagining what it’s like to feel that way at the start of a new year.
On the other, 2019 held some notable trials for me and my family.
Too overwhelmed by other circumstances, I couldn’t write for weeks. A manuscript I meant to finish took a couple of extra months (thankfully, I'm under only self-imposed deadlines). Blogging became difficult. My reading life changed, too.
God’s timing is not man’s timing. His word tells us there’s a time for everything, but God is certainly not bound by our calendar.
There's a time to pursue things even in the difficult, knowing our God goes before us. In those cases, celebrating New Year's with a resolution might help launch us into exactly what God has for us.
We are to number our days and make the most of them. Writing is an important part of that, but don’t fall into the trap of thinking the next milestone is everything.
God is everything.
And sometimes, our Shepherd leads us to rest beside quiet waters, where we can heal from loss, trauma, transition, and all that effort.
If this new year finds you in the midst of difficult circumstances and you “can’t even,” the most important thing you can do is dig deeper into Christ.
Let the Good Shepherd lead you through the valley, and rest in the assurance that He will restore you and lift you up in His good time. A green pasture is before you. Quiet waters. The Good Shepherd will care for both you and the abilities He's given you. Stay by His side, and you can't go wrong.
In fact, even if you do feel up to setting goals, the most important resolution a Christian writer can make, the one we can strive for no matter what 2019 held or 2020 brings, is to grow ever closer to Jesus.
We are to number our days and make the most of them. #Writing is an important part of that, but don’t fall into the trap of thinking the next milestone is everything. via @emilyrconrad #resolutions #Christianwriter #seriouslywrite
If this #NewYear finds you in the midst of difficult circumstances and you “can’t even,” the most important thing you can do is dig deeper into Christ. @emilyrconrad #writing #resolutions #seriouslywrite
The most important resolution a Christian writer can make, the one we can strive for no matter what 2019 held or 2020 brings, is to grow ever closer to #Jesus. @emilyrconrad #seriouslywrite #NewYear #writing
Photo credits
2020 photo by Jamie Street on Unsplash
January calendar photo by Maddi Bazzocco on Unsplash
Sheep photo by Millie Olsen on Unsplash
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Emily Conrad writes Christian romance and a blog to encourage women of faith. Her debut novel, Justice, released from Pelican Book Group in 2018. She lives in Wisconsin with her husband and two rescue dogs. She loves Jesus and enjoys road trips to the mountains, crafting stories, and drinking coffee. (It’s no coincidence Justice is set mostly in a coffee shop!) She offers free short stories on her website and loves to connect with readers on social media.www.emilyconradauthor.com
Facebook.com/emilyconradauthor
Instagram.com/emilyrconrad
Twitter.com/emilyrconrad
JUSTICEThe love of a lifetime, a quest for justice, and redemption that can only be found by faith.
Jake thought he was meant to marry Brooklyn, but now she's pregnant, and he had nothing to do with it.
Brooklyn can’t bring herself to name the father as she wrestles with questions about what her pregnancy means and how it will affect her relationship with Jake.
If Harold Keen, the man who owns the bookstore across from Jake's coffee shop, has anything to do with it, the baby will ruin them both.
Can Jake and Brooklyn overcome the obstacles thrown in their path, and finally find the truth in God's love and in each other?
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