Write Plan B First

 

by Pamela Mytroen

God wrote Plan B before he Created Plan A. He thought of his upcoming beautiful creation – Adam and Eve and all that which would fill the water, sky, and earth – and knew He’d need to write in some saving plot twists (1Peter 1:20; Ephesians 1:4). He was flexible before he was bent. I wonder about this : If I could anticipate problems, would I adapt better when they arise? 

 

Three roadblocks throw me off course and cause me to sit in my canoe in a desert and mourn the lack of water. They follow:

 

1. Lack of time. How do I adapt to a lack of time, when my days are consumed by tasks I hadn’t counted on? I’ve noticed that a deadline helps me get my pieces finished, no matter how little time I have. When I know there’s a deadline, I am motivated. I will work into the night, or put other less-important tasks down in order to start and finish writing. I know that my local paper’s deadline is Tuesday at noon. Add the value of a pay check to a deadline, and I’ve got my pieces there on time. However, maybe you’ve noticed that the busier we are, even in volunteer situations,the more organized and productive we are.

 

2. Lack of confidence.

I looked back at months in which I wasn’t writing much, and then at seasons where I wrote feverishly. The difference – I had been asked to write by my local paper, by InScribe, or by somebody who might’ve been desperate. However, I don’t always have an employer that believes in my skills and asks me to write for them. In those cases, I need to be intrinsically motivated. How do I get myself in gear when I don’t believe in my skills? When I don’t feel confident about my message or my means to get it out there? I’ve noticed that I do feel passionate and excited to write when 3 other things happen. A) When I read God’s word, I often desire to share truth, whether in a devotional, a short story, article, or poem. B) When I am part of a guild, such as InScribe, I am taught and challenged in my craft, and I feel accountable to put their investment in me into practice. Also, my gifts are recognized, reinforced and encouraged. C) When I’m part of a writing group or writing partnership such as InScribe’s writing buddies which expects some kind of writing from me at every meeting, I produce more, and more consistently.

 

 

3. Lack of peace.The big one for me. Twenty-twenty revealed just how anxious of a person I am. Anxiety kept me from focusing, especially on writing which tends to be reflective. I just wanted to dull the fear by not thinking, and by keeping busy with mindless activities. A couple things are helping me with this – commiserating about it with others, and memorizing passages of Scripture such as Psalm 112:6,7,8. I also find that avoiding news and social media gives me chunks of time where my mind is relaxed and I can concentrate better. I cannot forever ignore the news, but when I do engage, I have found that I need to let “bad news” go. I cannot control where it will end up. I cannot change the course of a raging river bent on destruction. All I can do is add my words of truth, one drop at a time, into the stony landscape of people’s minds and trust that God will carve canyons ready to hold His streams of living water. This letting-go gives me peace and hope and helps me adapt to the constant shadow of anxiety. 

 

Looking at these roadblocks has reminded me that in order to continue writing, and adapting to what 2021 may yet hold in store, I will need to set up deadlines, continue reading God’s Word, staying in community, and letting go of what I cannot control, while consistently taking small steps of creating content. Creation, I’m learning, is all about being ready with Plan B.