At the beginning of this chase for gold (writers never really make any money that would equate to large pots of gold even as cool as that would be), I was really focused on getting a manuscript done by tomorrow in this 32 day chase. My original plans were to write and write and write until I died and I could write no more. Well while at first I shifted into fifth gear, I quickly realized the quality of my work was not what it could be if I had just taken time to do it well. So I slowed my pace down in order to do a job well done. Finishing the race quick does not always mean you will finish the best product, in my case a good book.
Well I am not disappointed when I say that I am not near close to finishing it (maybe about half way which is much closer than where I was at the beginning of all of this). While a timeline with due dates is imperative to get a piece of literature completed, I did not just take the last thirty-two days to write. Instead I took time to grow in my relationship with the Lord, to spend time with my family, to become more involved in my church, to grow in networking with authors here and there, and to simply take some time to sleep. It has been wonderful! I found in the last month of self-discovery that writing is very much in my blood now. It is hard to not go a day without writing at least 300-500 words, and that is certainly an off day if I only write that much. I have increased the amount of reading I am doing in order to learn about this new possible field of interest and career choice. God has opened door after door as I seek a dream to publish my own book. His Grace in my own ambitions has overwhelmed personal thankfulness sometimes to the point of tears within my heart.
This past month has been a thriving success in the belief that I will and I am going to publish soon enough in the Lord’s game plan for my life. I am going to do my best to traditionally publish embracing rejection as if that word becomes my new best friend. You have to thrive on the rejected word in order to sometimes create the accepted word, meaning getting your book on the shelves of a local booksmith’s shop. Most professionals in the field I have met with have fully endorsed my ideas and my story. I will be traveling for a few weeks, and when I get back it is time to finish what I have started with my manuscript and my book proposal.
For the next couple of weeks, you will not hear and/or see me as often as you have been. I am taking a retreat with the Lord to investigate literary ambitions and pray about future directions. God is opening doors and working in amazing ways. I have grown personally, spiritually, and emotionally as a person since I graduated from Auburn. I think while in graduate school you do not have as much time as you would like to do anything besides being a graduate student. As a result if I ever had free time, it was usually consumed spending time with God or breathing while I did not have my head buried in some cube within the library walls.
If you have the time, take a retreat of sorts. I myself am going backpacking in the Smokey Mountains. You do not need to travel to retreat. You can take a walk or go to a local park. Throw your hands up to God and say, “What’s up? I came up to breathe for some fresh air and to say. ‘Hello’ and that ‘I love you.’ ” Give God the Glory he is due in rest that you receive. Without rest the body is guaranteed to collapse eventually. If you press the pedal to the medal, at some point you have to slow down so the treadmill of life stops long enough for your lungs to pump oxygen throughout the bloodstream. Take a minute to pause and thank God for the good He has done.
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