The Year of Writing Dangerously - Part 2 by Joylene M. Bailey

Last year the word the LORD kept bringing up to me was “Availability”.  I had/have a busy life.  I think most of us do.  I was involved in and responsible for many things, but the LORD kept nudging me to give up some things.  Good things.  Things I liked.  He wanted me to be more available.  Available for Him to use me. Available to actually sit down and write!  And so, I gave up some of my responsibilities.  Then I said, “Now what?”

And here is NOW WHAT:

  *  I joined this blog as a regular contributor

  *  I guest posted in a couple of other blogs

  *  I wrote an article for FellowScript
*  I spent more quiet time with God

  *  I prayed more

  *  I heard God speak to me

  *  I was available to engage and spend time with a hurting colleague of my husband’s 

     
The theme the LORD has given me for this year is PAY ATTENTION! 

     Now that I’m Available, I need to consciously Pay Attention.  In order to Write Dangerously, I need to Pay Attention.  Writers have to be keen observers.  So the more I pay attention, the more ‘true’ my writing will be.

But I hope that paying attention will also open my eyes to some God-assignments, times when I notice His nudge. 

Which brings me to this morning.  As I went through the checkout at the grocery store, I looked at the clerk.  She was very young, and she looked tired and sick.  I noticed, but I didn’t do anything about it.  I didn’t say anything encouraging to make her day brighter.  I don't even remember if I smiled at her.  I have since prayed for her, but I wonder if she was a God-assignment.  I need to pay more attention.

     To pay attention takes sacrifice.  It takes a sacrifice of time – sometimes a moment, sometimes a couple of hours, as in the case of a hurting colleague. 

     Paying attention often means sacrificing my own schedule.  For a list-maker/schedule-keeper like me, that one hurts. More than I’d like to admit. 

     In Bible Study last week, the study leader stated that more often than not, our choice is between sacrifice and selfishness.  Wow.  That makes one stop and think.  

     I’m glad I was obedient to the nudges God gave me last year to give up some responsibilities so that I could become available.  My life is still busy, but it is busy in a different way now.  For my Year of Writing Dangerously I plan to pay attention so that I don’t miss any opportunities, writing or otherwise, that God puts in my way.

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photo credit: <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/s9500/358416239/">Pictr73</a> via <a href="http://photopin.com">photopin</a> <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.0/">cc</a>