Please welcome my friend Tanya Agler to the blog today.
Tanya writes “Sweet Southern Romance ~ Front Porch Style.”
Writing Lessons
A couple of weeks ago, I received an answer to a prayer about my writing. The answer was no.
I wish I could lie and say I was a good sport about it, but the truth is I wasn’t. God had closed a door, and I didn’t even know if He had cracked a window (although He did, and I was just too stubborn to realize it at the time).
At the time, my husband was taking a staycation as three of our children are in local schools, and we needed to stay in town in order for them to attend classes. That Friday, after we picked up our oldest son from high school, the five of us drove to a local waterfall, located in a nearby state park.
While there, I snapped out of my funk and appreciated the beautiful world God made and proclaimed good as the waterfall reminded me of some of the lessons I’d lost track of during my writing journey.
Pacing
To get to the top of this particular waterfall, you have to climb a lot of stairs. And then some more. And then a few more.
The great thing is there’s no rush to get to the top of the waterfall. You proceed at your own pace. Along the way there are resting points with wooden benches where you can take a breather and enjoy the perspective of the falls from where you are sitting.
My youngest son would have gladly sprinted to the top nonstop if I had let him, and there are writers who are able to write a bestseller on their first try.
My husband was recovering from a bout of bronchitis and had to rest on his way to the top. We all made it; it just took longer than I’d expected. A message I needed to be reminded of.
With prayer and God’s timing, I’ll persevere and I’ll make it to the top at the pace that’s right for me and my writing. (Click-to-Tweet)
Look Around
I’ve been to this waterfall several times in the past. This day, a nice woman offered to take a picture of the five of us, and I turned away from the falls and looked out to the mountain vista on the other side. Every time I’ve visited these falls I’ve been so focused on the waterfall itself that I hadn’t taken time to appreciate the view.
My writing journey has several parallels to that. I’ve focused on my goal, but it’s time to appreciate the climb and look at the totality of what’s around me.
When I reached the top of the falls, I admired the view and the wondrous sight of God’s creation. This time, I also considered the journey. I observed the mountains as well as the waterfall below me.
While the answer to my prayer was no, God is in charge of my journey and He’s making sure I’m taking it all in, from the sweat and the hard steps to get there to the beauty and wonder of what surrounds me. (Click-to-Tweet)
Helping Arms
My favorite moment during the excursion was when we passed a group of three people, one of whom was holding his very tired puppy.
The guy wasn’t grumbling or upset; he held his dog and gave us a good-natured smile as we passed. I’m sure all five of us had bemused looks on our faces.
Sometimes in writing, we are the person carrying the dog and we are the encouragement for our fellow writers. But it’s nice to know God is always doing the heavy lifting, especially when the climb seems particularly arduous.
Gentle Reminder
After we reached the top, we then had to climb back down to where our car was parked. On the way there, I snapped a picture of a Bible verse someone had written on the wood.
This early evening trip was a blessing in disguise as it reminded me that sometimes the answer is no, but God continues to give me strength for the journey.
He has the map to the waterfall of my heart; He holds my dream, as well as myself, in His arms.
He reminded me He’s with me every step of this journey, and that’s a journey we will continue together.
***
Author Bio
Tanya Agler
Tanya Agler is an award-winning write-at-home mom who lives with her husband, four kids, one Basset Hound (Vera), and one rabbit (Gandalf). She writes a mixture of inspirational category and contemporary Southern front porch romances. A member of Romance Writers of America and ACFW, she is the President of Georgia Romance Writers and was the 2017 Unpublished Category Contemporary Maggie Contest winner.
When she’s not writing, chauffeuring her children or folding laundry, Tanya loves classic movies (preferably black and white or anything with Cary Grant), and she also enjoys a cup of tea alongside a good book.
Follow Tanya at www.facebook.com/AuthorTanyaAgler or www.twitter.com/tanyaagler.
***
PLEASE SHARE
When an answer to prayer isn’t what we hoped, what’s a writer to do? Tanya Agler shares her perspective.
Lessons from God’s world as we navigate the path to publication. The lesson Tanya Agler learned from an unlikely source.
The writing journey is filled with highs and lows. Why setting the right pace is crucial for balance.
ENCOURAGEMENT
The Book That Changed Everything via Katie Powner
The life-changing impact authors and their books have on their readers.
Provision: Trusting God When It’s Hard
Semantics. When our definition differs from God’s.
Original Image Credit via Minodor/Pixabay
Original Image Credits via Tanya Agler
Writer or reader, what have you learned from a difficult journey?
How has God lifted you up after His answer to prayer has been “no”?
***
Thanks so much for visiting!
For the next few months, fabulous guests will join us here as I take a brief respite from blogging. Please check the schedule for a complete line-up and stop by next week as we uplift and encourage!
Also, are you a member of my newsletter family? Sign up here or in the top right-hand sidebar. Don’t forget to click on the confirmation links that will arrive in your inbox, as this completes the sign-up process. Psst… Next month, I’m sharing some super-fun news about my upcoming book series! (As a newsletter subscriber, you’ll hear the juicy tidbits first.)
See you back soon!
Much Love and Many Blessings,
Comments 21
What a beautiful reminder of the journey we all take as writers and trusting in God’s timing. Thank you for sharing your heart, Tanya.
Josee, you’ve taught me so much in the past year about perseverance and prayer. Thank you for your shining example. Hope you have a great week and thank you for the sweet comment.
Tanya, my eyes were misty as I read your thoughts about pacing. Sometimes progress toward the waterfall seems so slow, but the reminder to enjoy the view along the way is perfect. If I hadn’t start this trail to the waterfall…..oh what my heart would have missed! Thank you! (And isn’t that the best verse?)
Sherida, thank you for stopping by. And the wonderful part is there are so many angles to view. So often my eyes are so focused on the waterfall, I don’t look around at all the beauty around me. My son pointed out flowers on the path as well. I’m glad you’re on this trail with me!
“Sometimes in writing, we are the person carrying the dog and we are the encouragement for our fellow writers.” Amen and Amen.
Tina, thank you for reading my post. You’re one of the people who’ve carried me at times, and I’m so thankful for you and all of the other writers who give so generously with their time and spirits and prayers.
Love this, Tanya. Thank you for the inspiration and the encouragement!
Hi, Laura. I hope your writing is going well. You’re an inspiration to me. Thanks for stopping by.
Hello Tanya! First of all, your photos of the waterfall are gorgeous! How wonderful to live so close to one of God’s masterpieces of nature. And as I read your encouraging words, I thought that sometimes God wants us to take our eyes off the waterfall so we can turn and *see* the mountain range that He’s putting before us. Maybe the “no” isn’t really a “no” – maybe it’s a “this is where you need to be, my darling Child”. Just a thought that popped into my mind! I’ve been blessed by being on your journey with you this past year or so. Thank you for this encouraging post!
Hi, Laurie. Thanks for the kind words about the pictures. Georgia is a beautiful state, and I love to take pictures of Amicalola Falls and the new waterfalls I visited for the first time recently in nearby Cloudland Canyon. I’m glad we’re on this writing journey together! Have a great day.
Very well said, Tanya! Thank you for writing this post and reminding those of us still climbing to the top of the waterfall to take time to look around and trust in God’s timing.
Rhonda, I’m so glad you were able to drop by and read this post today. With perseverance and prayer, we’ll both make it to the top. In the meantime, we can climb to the top together. Thanks for dropping by.
Tanya, your words painted my Journey perfectly. Lately I’ve wanted to sprint to the top and it just isn’t happening. Thanks for the reminder to enjoy where I’m at and trust God to get me where he wants me to go.
Hi, Terri. That’s one part of the writing community that I’ve been so happy about. Writers are very encouraging, and we want to help each other because we know that ultimately we have to sit down and write without any person looking over our shoulder or keeping tabs on us. Thanks for dropping by and leaving a comment.
Tanya – this was beautiful and touched me right where I’m needing it today. “Sometimes you’re the one carrying the dog.” I think I’ll hang that little reminder on my computer for encouragement in the tough times. Thanks so much for sharing with us today – Thanks Cynthia, for inviting Tanya to do this great post. Hugs to you both
Aw, Cindy, that’s so sweet. Thank you. And let me just add the dog was absolutely adorable, but it was not the Yorkie-Poo my in-laws own who’s probably nine to ten pounds soaking wet. This was a good size dog, a little smaller than my Basset but much bigger than a toy dog. A hug right back to you.
Tanya, your post is absolutely beautiful. What a wonderful analogy using the waterfalls and your
writing journey. I think all of us can use this reminder to enjoy the journey and remember that
God has a plan for us.
Thank you for sharing those gorgeous photos too! Seeing them makes me want to head to the
northern part of our state. 🙂
Praying that the Lord will show you the paths you are to take, and your heart will be uplifted along
the way.
Sending gentle hugs, sweet friend!
P.S. Sorry about the goofy spacing on my comment!! Not sure what’s going on with my computer!
Patti Jo, Please let me know any time you do travel to the north part of the state. There are some gorgeous state parks throughout Georgia, but I do feel particularly fortunate to live near the Chattahoochee River, Amicalola Falls, and Cloudland Canyon. Thanks for dropping by, and thank you for the hugs and prayers!
Tanya, thanks so much for being my blog guest today ~ You blessed us!
Cynthia, thank you for having me. I had fun reading everyone’s comments. Thanks to all who left comments.