The Call - Or How I Re-Connected to My Purpose - Part I

Should I quit writing? Why am I putting myself through this torture?

Sound familiar? These are some of the thoughts I've had going through my mind. They've turned writing from a joy to a chore and from a blessing to a curse. How did I get here?

Even as I struggled, I cried out to the Lord for answers, wisdom, and direction. Maybe He didn't want me writing. Then He spoke this to my heart: "Go back to the vision."

We humans need reminders, and this was my day to recall the early days when the intense flame of destiny energized me.

I reflected on the original vision and how God led me in those early days:

1.  Pouring words onto the page, filled with passion to communicate God's love for His people. This became my standard, my rallying cry:  write words that were containers of life.

2.  Sitting at my desk 13 plus years ago and asking Him if He really wanted me to pursue publication. His answer was swift and sure. Within a half hour, the phone rang and an invitation was issued to attend a small writers group.

3.  Standing in Gettysburg town square and hearing the voices of the forefathers as fading echoes.

4.  I can still hear my late husband as we talked about The Gettysburg Experience. After eight months, its meaning still escaped me. Then he declared, "That's it. That's your book, and you'll write it in four months, and call it Ghosts of the Past."

5.  Long before I heard advice like, "get something on the page, and then you can edit," I began writing a story that will forever remain embedded in my spirit.

How did I get from Point A to a published manuscript? When did things go awry?

Writers:  If you sense God has called you to write, how do you stay true to your original vision?

Readers:  There are books that entertain, but there are books that impact your life forever. Can you name a book (other than the Bible) that influenced your walk with the Lord?

Photo Credit:  darkip