Stuck In the Middle With You ~ Valerie Ronald

  

Have you ever experienced an ear worm, a catchy piece of music that gets stuck in your mind, annoyingly repeating over and over? This month’s prompt has given rise to such a pest drilling into my head until I decided if I use it, perhaps it will go away.

The song, Stuck in the Middle With You, topped the pop music charts in 1973, the year I graduated from high school. That was a long time ago, yet surprisingly I remember most of the words. If you would like a friendly, tenacious ear worm to take up residence in your brain, listen to it here: Stuck In the Middle With You 

The lyrics have nothing to do with writing, yet some lines could be applied to the writer’s quandary of getting bogged down in the midst of a literary project.

“Yes, I’m stuck in the middle with you, 

And I’m wondering what it is I should do...”

“Trying to make some sense of it all,

But I can see that it makes no sense at all.”

Don’t give up hope. Pull your manuscript out of the document archives, dust it off and try again. Like the song title says, we are not stuck in the middle on our own. Who better to be stuck with than God?

Being stuck in the middle is a good time to step back from your desk, take a breather and think about the bigger picture. Do you believe God has gifted you to write so you can glorify Him? Does it fill you with joy and purpose when He inspires you with fresh ideas and words? Are you aware of His presence with you as you write? An affirmative answer to these questions is reason to push through until you are unstuck.

We are not called to write alone. Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith, guides our thoughts and words so we write under His divine direction. If that is so, then why do we get stuck? There are a myriad of reasons, such as distraction, procrastination, loss of confidence, time pressure, trying too hard and many more. Over my years of writing, I have gradually discovered a pattern of practices which help me push through when I am stuck in the middle.

Pray

Prayer is an absolute necessity before and during all my writing projects. I go to Him for inspiration, direction and help to navigate the tough spots. Practicing the craft for many years has taught me to recognize when He speaks to the creative part of my spirit, though sometimes I wait a long time to hear from Him. Openness, sensitivity, observation ˗˗ these attitudes are heightened as I wait. I have faith He will answer because He has never failed to provide the next step.  

Be glad for all God is planning for you. Be patient in trouble, and prayerful always.- Rom.12:12 TLB

Prepare

Though not always on paper, I am a planner when it comes to writing projects. Before beginning, I think through the project, making mental note of the theme, direction, illustrations, key points and take-away value. I also gather research or helpful ideas before beginning. If it is fiction, then I mentally plot out the story, characters, settings and conclusion. By doing so, I know what comes next, which helps me move forward when I get stuck. Sometimes I find it helpful to work on a different section of the project, then go back to the troublesome section later. Having a plan makes this doable.

Do your planning and prepare your fields before building your house. - Proverbs 24:27 TLB

Partner

Writing is understandably a solitary endeavor, however, a little help from our friends can often get us over the hump. For several years now, God has gifted me with a writing mentor who is knowledgeable in aspects of the craft where I am weak. She points out ways to strengthen my prose as well as bringing fresh eyes to areas where I am struggling. With her objective viewpoint, hurdles are often surmounted in ways I miss seeing myself.

The purposes of a person’s heart are deep waters, but one who has insight draws them out. - Prov. 20:5 NIV
 

Persevere

In my early days as a writer, I gave up too easily when faced with a road block in a project. Many a ball of crumpled paper found its way to the trash can back then. As time went on and my experience and knowledge grew, I recognized that it takes perseverance to properly develop a good idea.

Acknowledging God’s inspiration for the idea helps me stay on the job until completed. Desire to obey God in fulfilling my calling is a powerful incentive to carry on, even when I can’t see my way through a difficulty. The frustration and slogging try my patience, but I refuse to give up if I believe the project is from the Lord. I know from experience that He will eventually give me a break-through, as long as I persevere.

For I can do everything God asks me to with the help of Christ who gives me the strength and power. - Phil. 4:13 TLB


Being stuck in the middle is not a permanent problem, as long as we are there with God, our refuge and strength, an ever present help in times of trouble. (Psalm 46:1 NIV)

 More of Valerie's work can be read on her blog:

https://wordpress.scriptordeus.com/

Are You Frenzied or Focused? by Nina Faye Morey

Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.

(Romans 12:12, ESV)

Often when I sit down to write, my mind is swirling with so many “to do’s” that I find it hard to maintain my focus. I have a general idea of the topic I want to write about, but I can’t get a handle on the central message I want to convey. Or I may think I’m writing about one thing, but wind up going down so many rabbit trails that pretty soon I’m totally lost. In either case, I find it hard to focus on what’s important.

On these occasions, the story of Mary and Martha comes to mind (Luke 10:38-42). Martha had invited Jesus into their home, but she had no time to focus on His message because she was too distracted by all the work that needed to be done. She soon becomes angry that she’s been left alone to prepare their meal. Was it right that Mary should be so entranced by Jesus’s every word that she left Martha all alone to slave away in the kitchen? Was it fair that the Lord didn’t seem at all concerned that Martha’s sister had deserted her when she most needed her help with serving?

This perceived injustice so emboldened Martha that she confronted Jesus and accused Him of not caring enough about her or her dilemma. She even went so far as to demand that He order Mary to help her. But which sister’s actions truly showed the greatest care and concern for their Master?

Who do you identify with most, Martha or Mary? Like Martha, have you often felt that life isn’t treating you fairly? Do you, too, become so distracted by all the busyness that you fail to pay attention to the One who should be your primary focus in life?

Too often, we tend to base our worth on how busy we are and on how much we are needed. We brag to our friends, family members, and anyone else who will listen about how much we need to do and how little time we have to do it. We’re more frenzied than focused. We’re like Martha. Our priorities are out of order. Jesus tells her:

Martha, Martha, you are worried about so many things,

But few things are needed—or indeed only one.

Mary has chosen what is better,

And it will not be taken away from her.

(Luke 10:41-42, NIV)

As Christian writers, we need to stop and ask ourselves if we’ve become so busy trying to serve God through our writing that we fail to hear His voice? Are we so focused on the busyness of our work that we forget to pray for His guidance? Are we so lost in the weeds of our words, that we lose sight of our primary message and purpose?

Jesus explained to Martha that “Mary has chosen what is better.” Martha’s main focus was on their material needs while Mary’s primary focus was on their spiritual needs. In Matthew 4:4, Jesus said, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” Jesus declares in John 6:63: “The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you—they are full of the Spirit and life.”

Like Mary, we must choose the best. The Lord should be our number one priority. Pray for His guidance so you don’t wander down rabbit trails that lead nowhere: “Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you the path to take” (Proverbs 3:6, NLT). If we maintain our focus on Jesus and His words, we will succeed: “Share your plans with the LORD, and you will succeed” (Proverbs 16:3, CEV).