Fresh Starts And Second Chances- Getting Back To Work

Hello there! Yes, I’m still here, but I’ve had to take some time to slow down and re-evaluate where I’m going. Last year, I sort of lost my way. It happens from time to time when one is traveling through life. Have you ever felt like you lost your way? 

​When I went to the Lord for direction, yet again, I felt the need to drop all the luggage I was carrying and build a camp. Camping times are necessary when we need to rest and refocus on where we are going. The world will say that you need to keep going, hustle-hustle, get it done, just do it. I hate those sayings. Life is too short to sprint through it. There is too much beauty and blessings that can be missed when we rush through each day trying to get to some destination that we aren’t even sure we should be heading for. It happens.

Photo by Andrew Neel on Unsplash

So, I took off the month of January, then added February to camp and think about where I was going. I’d lost my joy along the way. Writing had become a chore. I felt as if I’d failed in so many ways.
However, I was wrong. One who keeps going and keeps searching will never be a failure. Keep knocking, Jesus said. Keep searching. He will always meet us along the way to offer direction and guidance. I truly believe this. If you’ve read any of my stories then you perhaps may have seen this.

​While camping, I realized how off-balance I’d grown. My days were consumed with only focusing on writing. Now, there’s nothing wrong with focusing on what you want to do, but it became my most important thing. Any believer knows how God feels about things that are more important to us than him. So I dropped everything. All my dreams and desires, all my aspirations and beliefs about myself and why I was here. Everything.
Picture me sitting next to a fire with Jesus sitting across from me, all my “stuff” scattered on the ground like dusty stones. That’s what it felt like to me. He’d pick one up and toss it aside. Time to let that go, he’d say. “But this one, let’s keep this one. It just needs a bit of smoothing and polishing.”

Photo by R.D. Smith on Unsplash

As winter gave way to spring, I had a nice pile of stones next to me. Are you wondering what they were? Some remain from what I’ve been doing all along, but there are new stones, as well. Over the next days and weeks, I’d like to share what conclusions I came to during my camping time. I’m excited about the future. Joy has most definitely re-entered my life and I find pleasure in the daily tasks set before me. One major revelation I have is the Art of Slowing Down.
I’ll talk more about this soon, as well. For now, let me leave you with this:
I’m still writing and believe I always will. I’m still seeking clarity on where to go with my writing after I finish Reborn- the third book of the Phoenix Province Trilogy. The story is written but needs major edits which is where I’m at right now.

I’ve picked art back up. It’s something I’ve pushed aside for years, but like stories, art keeps niggling at me, trying to coax me back to grabbing my pencils and paintbrushes. I’m making more time for that and I’m excited about the possibilities it might open up for me.

As I said earlier, I’m learning the Art of Slowing Down and enjoying the little blessings in life. Taking care of my home and making it a place of comfort that’s welcoming to all who enter. Spending more time with my family and friends. The real ones, not just those wrecking havoc in my head. Ha! And I’ve found great joy in getting back to gardening. How beautiful is this world that God’s created for us. How wonderful he’s made it to provide so much of what we need. How peaceful it is to just sit outside beneath the trees and watch the wild ones go about their business.
Friends, these past few months have been such a blessing and time of renewal, along with redirection. I approach my edits with happiness over how the story is coming along. The world around me inspires ideas for pictures to draw and paint. I feel more complete and purposeful again. For that I’m grateful as I pack up my things, put on my traveling cloak, and take those first few steps back onto the path that will lead me to who knows where.
Thank you for continuing to follow me on this journey. I’ll be back soon to share more.