When God says do it, start.

Four years ago, when God told me to write a book, I made a lot of plans. I wanted to write my testimony in a fictional style, create a clever allegory, use lots of word pictures from scripture, and produce something I would be proud to show my pastor. I admit that I started again, and again, and never really knuckled down and certainly didn’t finish. In fact, it had been more than six months since I'd written anything when God gave me another chance. He showed up at a women's retreat and told me to write the story I’d been dreaming about and kicking around in my head.

I thought. “Are you sure Lord? It’s not G rated!” He very clearly said yes, and I responded. A passion to start just came over me and I borrowed a friend’s legal pad. Before the weekend retreat ended, I ran out of paper. When I got home from the weekend, I transferred all that handwritten stuff onto the computer, and I suddenly had thirty-eight pages. I was urged to write and the more I did, the more I loved the main characters and the interesting things that happened to them. It was often gut wrenchingly hard to write, but I was certain they would overcome each obstacle, injury, and test. I loved the ancillary characters and had to cut a lot out to keep the story moving forward without taking too many rabbit trails.

Six months to the day from first pencil to paper I published Crossing Boundaries on Amazon. I had tried in my own strength and wisdom and had nothing to show for it, but consistently seeking the Lord and His ideas and asking for the fire to keep writing through the slog days, and weep with the character’s agony days, and I don’t want to write days paid off. It was only after publishing that I learned Romance is the most lucrative genre. My first thought about that? Maybe God does know what He’s doing.

At this point I am thoroughly convinced of that. His plan is better than mine. So, when God says do something, I’m ready to start.

Thank you, Lord, that You love me and are able to use my creative spirit for something enjoyable and fun. I’m grateful for the story ideas and compelling characters. I’m willing to serve, ready to learn, and available. When do we start?