Climbing Out of the Pit

Whenever there's a mining accident, many people are needed to free those trapped underground. It takes the same kind of support to pull someone from the depths of despair.

Ideally, we wouldn't get into such trouble. Alas, we live in a fallen world with an enemy, who does all he can to snare us in a trap.

My merciful Heavenly Father once again came to my rescue. He reminded me that He'd never leave me nor forsake me. As I poured out my concerns to Him and WAITED for His answers, peace evicted panic.

Did the discouraging thoughts keep trying to get my attention? You better believe they did. When they came, I told them, "Go see my Father. He's handling that matter."

With gratitude welling up in my heart, my emotions calmed, and I began to think clearly. The words of comfort, love, and encouragement from the scripture and my writing friends soothed the tender areas.

One friend reached out and did a guest blog post to lighten my load. (Thanks, Karen!) Another friend's interview filled in two more blogging slots. Taking it slow, I began to write again. The momentum I'd lost grows day by day.

Instead of quitting, I'm entering my manuscript into the ACFW Genesis Contest. Hold me accountable on that one! It's still touch and go. My devotional writing is going forward, and I plan to query another agent.

I'm making time to take care of myself. With proper rest, exercise, and nourishment, my body has shaken off the persistent physical miseries of the past months.

Thank you, dear friends, for your posts that lift my spirits, for your loving words, and for hanging in there with me as I climbed out of this pit.

Do you have any words of wisdom for those who wonder if the stories God has put in their hearts will reach their intended audience?

The Dangers of Discouragement

The dance with discouragement put me on thin ice. The more I entertained those thoughts, the more I spiraled down emotionally. What was the result?

1)  I got into a negative way of viewing past and present events.

2)  My decision-making ability went askew. I felt pressed to make quick decisions without giving them prayer or careful consideration. Full-blown panic mode entered the picture.

3)  Quitting seemed like it would be a welcome relief from pressure. Guess what? We're going to have stressful situations in life whether it's writing or something else.

4)  My problems became bigger in my eyes than God. Writing that sentence made me shudder. How I must have grieved His heart.

5)  All of the blessings dimmed, and I lost sight of how far I'd come on this writing journey.

I'd like to make all sorts of excuses, but the bottom line is I agreed with the temptation of discouragement. Next week, we'll see how God graciously pulled me out of this latest scrape. Yes, as Joyce Meyer often says, "The battlefield is in the mind."

Do you see any other dangers to dancing with thoughts contrary to God's Word?

The Anatomy of Discouragement

Last Monday, I shared how I almost quit writing novels. Sadness, frustration, and sheer weariness drove me to the edge of that cliff.

As I struggled to regain my footing, I knew something must have gone awry in my thought processes. What was the trigger that set discouragement in motion? Nothing monumental occurred in the previous weeks.

I prayed, shared with friends, but seemed to get worse instead of better. As I journaled, a pattern emerged. Somehow I'd slipped into a glass-half-empty mentality, as well as getting too self-focused.

Not long ago, I wrote a gratitude list. Reading it made me notice all the blessings God gave me during 2011. Maybe I didn't get an agent or a book contract, but I met an author, who helped me create a proposal and gave me valuable insights. Another author read my manuscript and urged me to keep writing. I found a job that I love, and my Mom's health improved. The list goes on, and a glimmer of light entered my soul.

Another factor provided fertile ground for the despair haunting me. I'd allowed myself to get rundown physically. The intense schedule surrounding the holidays whittled my gym visits down to 2 per week, we were eating more fast food, and I'd come down with a cold that didn't want to yield its grip. Even though I'd simplified my traditions and enjoyed a meaningful Christmas, physical rest eluded me.

Next week, I'll give you a glimpse into the dangers of discouragement.

What are the things that trigger an "I want to give up" feeling in you?

The Week I Almost Quit

Yes. Me. The determined, focused writer wanted to quit. The one who declared the "Q" word wasn't in her vocabulary.

I sat at my computer screen and flipped through the pages of my manuscript, wondering why I was putting myself through this agony. The endless classes, edits, re-writes, and rejections reached critical mass. Oh, and don't forget Social Media, which ate through my writing time like Pac-Man.

I'd experienced similar thoughts in the past, but this time was different. Weariness, sadness, and a whole range of emotions bombarded me. Thoughts like, "no one wants my story, maybe the timing is wrong, maybe I missed God with this whole novel thing," ran through my head non-stop.

Thank God for my writer friends, for the messages in church, and for the vision He put in my heart back in 2005. The next few Monday posts will catalog my battle with discouragement. In case you're wondering, I'm back - moving a bit slower, evaluating my next step, and keeping a sharp eye out for thoughts that pull me down.

Writers:  Does the New Year sometimes affect you in a negative way? How do you deal with discouragement?

Readers:  Discouragement isn't limited to writers. It can impact all areas of our lives. How do you handle this emotion?