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I love being a writer, but lately I’d been
feeling stressed-out, burned-out, just plain bummed-out. So I did the only
thing I knew to do: I asked God to renew my passion for my calling and for my
current WIP. He answered my prayer, but in an interesting way….

Deep down I still appreciated the tremendous
blessing of a two-book contract. But after writing 503 devotionals over the
past 11 months, and knowing that I had 227 more to write over the next 4
months, my initial excitement faded. I started feeling like I didn’t have
anything more to say. And on some days, the more I studied and researched
Scriptures, the more I began to wonder if I understood anything at all.

To add to my confusion, I took four weeks off
to work full-time at a temporary job scoring essays on achievement tests. The
rush of actually getting a regular paycheck made me wonder if I should get a
job at the mall or a bookstore and dabble in writing on the side, especially
while my husband is out of work.

Then I got the news that my two-day-old
grandson had just gone in for emergency surgery. With my daughter, son-in-law,
and granddaughter several hundred miles away from any family, I felt helpless. I
wanted so badly to be there for them, but all I could do was pray—and ask
others to join me. Suddenly nothing else seemed important except prayer.

Little Roman came through the surgery and
quickly recovered. I came through the crisis with a deeper commitment to pray—for
family, for friends, for world events, for God’s will to be done. And when I
returned to giving prayer the priority it deserves, I found that God gave me
renewed passion for my calling.

 So I’m back at my desk, contented and
grateful for the gifts he has loaned me, and for the opportunities to use them
for his glory. But I frequently catch myself daydreaming about that sweet
little face you see on my shoulder in the picture above.

 

Special
note: Holly and Brandon wanted to express their appreciation to everyone who
prayed for their newborn son’s surgery and for their family during this ordeal.
Thank you so much!