Angels Among Us

My angel plaque–the perfect flea market find!

I’ve been talking a lot about “God things” lately, but it truly is a God thing how He sometimes uses the little things to get our attention. And it’s these little things that make an impression in a BIG way.

Take, for example, this interesting phase of life I’m in.

I’ve been writing as long as I can remember. I’ve been seriously writing, pursuing publication, for probably at least 15 years or more (with about a dozen life detours in between.) Why it couldn’t have happened sooner, I’ll probably never know. I have to trust that it all goes back to the Lord’s timing, which is a subject I’ve blogged about before.

Those of you still struggling to capture the eye of your target agent, listen up.

I recently heard the chance of being pulled out of literary agents’ “slush piles” on the basis of a simple query was less than 10%. Many contacts with literary professionals are made via writers’ conferences and personal referrals.

But take heart!

That  “blind query” is exactly how it happened for me!

I started commenting on a particular literary agency’s (and agent’s) blog that I’d e-mailed a query to.  (After all, what was the worst that could happen? In other words, I didn’t let fear hold me back.)

I honestly didn’t realize the odds when I first started the query process. I wasn’t a novice at writing, but I guess I was a newbie to the actual business aspect. It never occurred to me that the odds were against me. I just began querying.

I prayed that if pursuing publication was still in God’s plan for me that He would let any and all obstacles just fall away. This was something I’d dreamed about, prayed about, and pursued for years.

Obtaining an agent didn’t just happen overnight. It didn’t happen for years. God gave me little victories along the way though to keep discouragement at bay.

One day I was vacuuming the foyer of our home. I remember feeling a little down-and-out, a bit blue about the direction (or lack thereof) my writing seemed to be going. I’d come up with a great book concept and a fun series. I knew I had. God knew I had.

I flipped off the vacuum and told the Lord, “Okay. Here I am. Will you please reveal your will to me—like now, maybe?”

That was a low day.  : (

My writer’s heart hurt.

I felt guilty for burdening God with my childish longings. Iwondered if it was nonsense to hold onto what I’d wanted for so long. (See, that’s how Satan works. He takes our innate desires—our seeds of talent that the our Heavenly Father plants within us—and he twists and contorts them into shriveled up kernels of doubt, perceived failure, and sorrow.)

I remember thinking I could really use a hug right now, Lord. But my family wasn’t home at the time.  It was just me and Mr. Limpet (our daughter’s goldfish.)

Loneliness nipped at my heels.

What I needed was some good, old-fashioned encouragement.

Gazing back up, I stopped in my tracks. There on the wall in front of me was the new, little plaque I’d brought home from the flea market a few days earlier. Angels Gather Here.

Wow!  Thank you, Father!

That was just the reminder I needed. And a dollar well spent.

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A question for you to ponder…

What “little thing” has God used to get your attention in a big way?

Blessings Always,