Do Not Despair by Steph Beth Nickel

Does your Lifetime Achievement Goal look something like mine: become a multi-published author who makes a good living from the sale of her books so she and her hubby can enjoy his retirement without worrying about finances? 

It may not look exactly like that, but you get the idea.

While I still plan to indie publish several books over the next decade or two (or more, Lord willing), that may not be what God has planned for me.

There’s an old saying that goes “the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence.”

Currently, I have the honour of editing blog posts, books, and more. What a privilege to hear “it sounds like me, only better” and “you’ve not only made my writing better; you’ve made me a better writer.

How humbling! How encouraging!

Does God want me to spend my time coming alongside others and helping them polish the message He has given them to get into the world rather than publishing my own books?

Possibly!

And that should be a-ok with me. After all, His plans for my life are the very best—even those I would not choose for myself.

How about you? Are you despairing over what you’re not able to accomplish rather than doing each task as unto the Lord (Colossians 2:23)?

No judgment here! That’s what I do far too often—although I might not admit that it’s actually despair.

How can we determine if we’re investing, rather than merely spending, the time God gives us each day?

Here’s a series of questions that might help:

•  Do I commit each day to the Lord, asking Him to accomplish in and through me all He desires?
• Do I see my opportunities to bless others as opportunities to bless Jesus (Matthew 25:31f)?
• Do I do each task as if doing it for the Lord, as mentioned above?
• Am I willing to accept the fact that now may not be the time to pursue my writing goals?
• Am I willing to honestly evaluate my schedule and make space for those goals, dreams, and aspirations that persist?
• Am I willing to say no to good things on my list in order to take hold of the writing goals I believe God has for me?

These are only half a dozen of the questions we could ask ourselves when deciding if now is the time to make room for our writing.

If you’re like me, that’s only one important step on the road to publication. Next, we have to zero in on what we want to write.

Some writers are incredibly focused. They write primarily on one topic or in one genre—and they are quite content to do so.

But there are those of us who have eclectic interests (are scattered, are caught up in the Oo, Shiny!, or…SQUIRREL).

For example, I have written dozens of devotionals, have several unpublished children’s picture book manuscripts on my computer, have made significant headway on two novels, and have ideas for countless more projects.

Even if I decide to commit time to writing several times a week, I must focus on the work at hand if I hope to get anything published.

For me, that means completing the memoir I’m coauthoring with Paralympian Deb Willows and the YA speculative fiction novel I began in 2019 or 2020.

I also have several shorter writing tasks to accomplish each month.

Do you despair over not getting more of the writing you want to do completed?

Take a deep breath. Pray for wisdom and direction. Evaluate your schedule. And, whatever you decide, rejoice in the opportunities you have each day to bless those God has brought into your life—with your writing or in some other way.