called to write – Almost An Author

Why are we often SO surprised by how the Lord guides us? Or in my case, tries to guide me?

The Lord knows I am not a structured person. I’m energized by flitting from one task to another like a bee searching for nectar, no schedule and no timeframes. I like spur of the moment plans, and responding to whatever is in front of me (squirrel!). To some people it seems like I am quite air-headed. And, well, sometimes I’m that, too. But usually it’s just my mind going in a million directions at once and me trying to keep up with it.

Lately I’ve struggled to find time to write. I had an idea that maybe if I had one whole day a week to write and work on my speaking topics, uninterrupted, I’d get more done. So I asked my boss if I could work four 10-hour days instead of five 8-hour days a week. I’d structure 4 days for work focus, and 1 day for writing.

My boss said no, not now, too much going on and I need you at work every day.

So Lord, now what?

As I sat in my prayer closet this morning reading my devotionals, My Utmost for His Highest sparked an idea for a blog. I responded how I usually respond when these thoughts interrupt me as I’m trying to spend time with the Lord.

“No, not now Mary, it’s prayer closet time with the Lord, then you have to get ready for work.”

A very short time later, I tried to retrieve the blog idea from my brain to write some notes, but it was gone.

“Lord, why can’t I seem to find time to write?”

“Because you’re trying to structure yourself with man-made plans instead of responding to My voice.”

As I write this I am laughing out loud. Yes, LOL…OLOLOL. I contradicted myself and didn’t see it until I wrote it on paper.

Me, an unstructured, spontaneous, multi-task-energized person, needed a whole structured day, uninterrupted, in order to be a productive writer.

Knowing well how He created me, the Lord interrupted me to get up in the middle of my quiet time to write a blog. Yes, go write it now, it’s OK. The Lord was giving me time and space and ideas that fit into my schedule and I completely missed it.

And the Lord, knowing well how He created me, shut the door to my structured all-day plan.

So here I sit, 6:30AM on a Thursday, writing a blog before heading off to work….energized, excited, and still laughing.

I sense such sweet and heartfelt intimacy with my Father in this moment. He is SO faithful! These words from Psalm 139 have a whole new meaning for me today.

Oh yes, you shaped me first inside, then out; you formed me in my mother’s womb. I thank you, High God – you’re breathtaking! Body and soul, I am marvelously made! I worship in adoration – what a creation! You know me inside and out, you know every bone in my body; You know exactly how I was made, bit by bit, how I was sculpted from nothing into something. Like an open book, you watched me grow from conception to birth; all the stages of my life were spread out before you, The days of my life all prepared before I’d even lived one day. (Psalm 139:13-16, MSG, emphasis mine)

Where are you holding yourself back from following God in the way He guides YOU?

Armed with new perspective, I can’t wait to see what the Lord brings my way today. I pray He interrupts your plans with lots of new adventures!

Mary Graziano Scro, a graduate of Christian Communicators Conference, is an inspirational author, speaker, and blogger who intuitively weaves analogies and personal testimony with practical biblical teaching. Whether “live” or at the keyboard, Mary loves sharing what God has done in her life to encourage others about the awesome life God has planned for us, IF we are willing to choose wisely in our everyday lives (John 8:31-32). And it’s not only about us – the more we invest in our own unique relationship with Jesus, the more visible He is to a world that desperately needs Him.

You can reach Mary on:
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Blog: Life Is Not A Formula

When It’s Not Working Out

If you’ve been writing and working towards getting published, even more so, if you are writing because you know without a shadow of doubt God has called you to do so, then I imagine (actually I’m certain) you’ve hit a dead end or will hit one soon. You’ve come to a roadblock or are headed for one. You’ve ended up at an impassable wall or at least see one in the distance.

So…what do you do?

If God has lead you to write or to share a particular message and He’s continually telling you that the mission is still a go, but it’s evident the endeavor is crashing and burning, what do you do?

Well, that’s where I am.

Actually, it’s where I’ve been the past month…err…three months…err…year. Stuck. Blocked. Crashing and burning. The odds of survival in the writing world and the mission in which I have been sent are looking bleak. So, I broke down and sought counseling.

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Gathered around the table for supper, I asked my seven-year-old daughter the question I had been asking myself. I asked, “If God has told you to do something, but its hard, should you quit?” She looked at me like I was absolutely stupid and said, “You have to do what God tells you to do. If He told you to do something you have to obey, no matter how hard it is. Even if you have to die doing it.” My four-year-old added, “Daddy, you have to do what God says.”

That’s the truth I knew somewhere in my heart. Actually, I had recently written a book about that. But on my little water-walking endeavor I had let my judgment become clouded by the waves and the wind.

Although, my daughter was convincing and again I had written on the subject, I was still uncertain. So, I posed another question to my budding theologian. I asked, “What if God told you to go cross a river, but when you get there the bridge was broken and had fallen down? What should you do? Are you off the hook? Can you say, well, the bridge is gone so God must not really want me to cross the river.”

“You can’t turn around and go home if God told you to do something. You have to find a way to cross the river. Daddy, you would be like Jonah if you didn’t try to cross the river.”

Yikes. My little girl is hardcore.

My four-year-old said, “You could just swim across!” Therefore, we then changed the scenario to a river of lava.” But regardless of what substance is in the river, if God said cross the river—you cross the river or die trying.

Then a lightbulb dinged in my head—how many different ways has God got His people across water? I posed the question to my Suppertime Ecumenical Council and we went to town listing different ways.

He got Noah and his family across with the ark.
He got Moses and the Israelites across by parting the Red Sea, after Moses lifted his staff.
He got Joshua and the Israelites across the Jordan by stopping its flow, after the priests with the Ark of the Covenant stepped in the water.
He got Elijah and Elisha across the Jordan by parting it, after Elijah rolled up his cloak and stuck it in the water.
He got Elisha across the Jordan by parting it, after Elisha touched it with Elijah’s cloak.
He got the ax head out of the Jordan by making it float.
He got Jonah across the water by spitting him out of a big fish.
Jesus got the disciples and himself across the Sea of Galilee by commanding the winds and waves to stop.
Jesus went across the Sea of Galilee by walking on water.
Jesus took the disciples across the Sea of Galilee by instantly making the boat appear on the other side.

Impressive list. Also, my daughter may have had a little help compiling it.

And I don’t know about you, but looks like God can handle getting across the river if the bridge is gone. He probably could if it is lava, too.

After that counseling session I returned to my desk, and kept plugging away. God has called me to do this, therefore I got to do it or die trying.

So, what do you when its not working out?

You keep on writing.

[bctt tweet=”God has called me to do this, therefore I got to do it or die trying.” username=”@soldoutjake”]

[bctt tweet=”So, what do you when its not working out? You keep on writing.” username=”@soldoutjake”]

Jake McCandless is an award-winning author, winner of the 2018 Selah Award for his non-fiction book Spiritual Prepepr. He is the Executive director for Stand Firm Ministries and Prophecy Simplified.. A long-time pastor who is now co-pastor of the innovative “above-ground underground,” online church, Endtime.Church., Jake has a B.A. in Bible and Pastoral Studies from Central Baptist College, and an Advanced Masters of Divinity from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. He also is a regular contributor to WND News with voices such as Joseph Farrah, Pat Buchanan, Ann Coulter, Ben Carson, Chuck Norris, Joel Richardson, Carl Gallups. He also writes for the The Baptist Press along with other publications. He is also a regular guest on national radio and streaming web shows, along with hosting his daily radio program Prophecy Simplified Radio and weekly podcast Hold On. You can follow all Jake’s work at www.jakemccandless.com or subscribe to his newsletter here.