Every time I read Mary's article on "Pubishing doesn't Validate Your Life" it helps me put my own writing journey into perspective.
I'm a very competitive goal oriented person. I like to plan, dream and work to make it happen in whatever I do. Sometimes though, I plan and move forward on my own, without the leading of God. That's how it's been in my writing for a while. I would plunge into a story line without consulting the one who gave that story to me. I got lost in my creation and forgot the Creator.
When that happens (and it still does), I feel the leading of God pull back. If I don't heed the voice of God, then I know he'll do something more drastic to get my attention.
Since I'm not writing on my WIP right now, I've poured myself into this blog. But I feel myself slipping to the dark side again. Becoming obsessed with hits and counters and referrals from websites. Thankfully God revealed this to me, I've put it in his hands. So what if I don't have tens of thousands of hits. I can't compare myself with others out there. I have to do what God has called me to do and not get distracted by other things.
So what exactly has he called me to do right now? Not totally sure and that's part of it. To learn to hear His voice better and find out what exactly He wants me to do.
I'm at number four right now. Waiting and hoping on the agent thing to happen, but over the last four months I've learned not to dwell on the "What ifs." I'm slowly learning to get my priorities back in order.
God first, family second, writing third.
I'm not there yet, but I'm taking baby steps in the right direction. With that said, I still have my writing goals and dreams. I'm just not letting them control my life anymore. It's hard. But I take it one day at a time. Will I ever fall back into the "What ifs?" Sure. It's something I will have to battle daily. My name is Gina and I'm a writer...
I've printed out Mary's "What I can do", list and I plan to keep it taped to my desk so I can see it before I write. I think that's a good place to start.
So what number are you?
3 comments:
Thank you for the reminder to give my writing over to God. I have, and I do. But then another day goes by (and another peek at the sitemeter stats and the comments or lack thereof), and I have to do it again.
I appreciate your blog, your writing, and your honesty. And I know that others do, and I know that some feel the same way about mine. To me, that's all I need right now--not thousands of hits a day.
I like your list of priorities. Sometimes it's hard to keep the right attitude and perspective. I'm overing around #4 also. I've said it before, but I'll say it again: when my writing starts to take over, I think of what God has called you to do in this season. Bless you for following Him!
Great post, Gina. I, too, have found that it's far too tempting to run ahead of God's leading - both in my everyday life and in my writing. I need to set aside time to listen, to try to discern where he wants me to go next and what he wants me to write next. Thank you for sharing from your heart!
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