Faith, Family, Freedom…and Writing Conferences

I worked on the perfect blog post for today. It centered around 9/11.

It was chock-full of encouragement and love. I talked about faith, family, freedom, and writing conferences. I was about to tie it with a pretty bow when–you-know-what happened.

I hit “save draft” (just to be safe should the “auto-save” not work) and need I say more? Probably not. I’m sure you can guess. Cyberspace ate it. Totally. Completely. And without remorse.

I can only surmise that

(A) Satan knew I was under a time frame to get everything done before the ACFW conference and this was a big, fat test to see if I’d lose my mind and cave under pressure.

OR

(B) God knew my words of eloquence weren’t as important as just showing you my heart.

OR

(C)

Both.

So…not one to cry over spilled milk and three hours worth of wasted effort, I’m rising to the occasion and seeing the glass half-full. This–diluted as it may be–is a synopsis of what I wanted to say.

So often is the case when this time of year approaches, I’m struck by conflicting emotion.

9/11 lingers on my mind. How it changed this nation. How it affected everyday life. How the day itself is forever etched in my memory.

I still grieve for the senseless loss of life, yet I know I must move forward. While I’ll never understand evil, I have faith that victory is on the horizon.

Without faith, what would the point be? Without hope in something better at the end of the road, how I could I make sense of death, grief, and hardship, and all the awful things that happen in this old world?

Faith, to me, is the crimson promise that guarantees discouragement is temporary. It’s the intangible aura of God’s heart beating in and around me. The manna that nurtures my tired soul as I slog through lost blog posts, stolen hours, manuscript rewrites, and tears shed in quiet.

It’s that lottery ticket that I wouldn’t trade for all the Powerballs in the world.

I’m not always Suzy Sunshine as my family can attest to. But I have resolve. Stick-to-itness. A passion for life. The desire to love.

And praise God, He’s given me the freedom to persevere!

I don’t have to. I mean, it’s hard. Sometimes, I’d really rather not (persevere).

But perseverance is the wise choice. It’s the thing we’re left with when remnants of our courage are tattered and laid bare. It’s the thing that haunts us when we’re tempted to give up, give in, or give out.  It’s the spiritual drug that buoys us against waves of defeat.

It’s what we do despite the alternative.

Tomorrow as I head to the annual ACFW conference, my family will hold down the fort while I’m away.

I’ll miss tennis matches, family meals, and power hugs. That’s the downside.

The upside? I’ll get to love on those friends I see only once a year. We’ll dish writing and soak up craft. We’ll eat chocolate, swig coffee, and giggle at all the silly things that non-writers don’t get.

We’ll revel in a world far away from the normalcy of home and the rat race of day-to-day living.

And we’ll focus on writing the stories that deal with faith, family, and freedom because of the mission that God has charged us with.

******

What role does faith play in your life?

How do you persevere?

What’s on your writing plate?

PLEASE SHARE

Faith and perseverance. Why you can’t have one without the other: (Click to Tweet)

Christian fiction writers and writing conferences. Freedoms we don’t take lightly: (Click to Tweet)

I won’t blog this Friday, but please join me again next Wednesday, 9/18/13, where I’ll talk all things ACFW!

I love you, friend!

Blessings Always,