Habakkuk 2: 3 (KJV)
For the vision is yet for
an appointed time…though it tarry, wait for it.
I recently released a short non-fiction book entitled GOD, LIFE
& HULA HOOPS:
SPIRITUAL LISTENING LESSONS. It's meant to be light-hearted
but with a serious message. This devotion is from Spiritual Listening Lesson 4.
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| Photo Courtesy of Pixabay |
It took me fifteen years to get my first traditional contract.
That’s right! Fifteen years! Fifteen years of writing. Fifteen years of
rejections. Fifteen years of coming close but still not getting that contract.
To say I was frustrated was a bit of an understatement. I was
firmly convinced God wanted me to be a writer so I didn’t understand why it
wasn’t happening. If God wanted me to do it, wouldn’t he make it easy for me?
Absolutely not!
God chose Mary to be the mother of Jesus. And look at all she
and Joseph went through—shunned; humiliated; chased out of her homeland; and
watching her son die on the cross.
Worthwhile ain’t necessarily easy or quick!
And then there’s Moses God gave him the assignment of leading
the Israelites out of Egypt and to the Promised Land. It took Moses more than
forty years, and in the end he didn’t get to go into the Promised Land even
though the new generation of Israelites did.
Worthwhile ain’t necessarily easy or quick!
Just because God wants us to do something doesn’t it’s going to
be easy. Just as parents know (or should know) if you make everything too easy
for a child, they won’t grow up—they won’t mature. God knows that as well.
After all, He is the perfect parent!
It wasn’t quick or easy, but all those years of perseverance
were worth it! Four years and ten contracts later, writing still brings me so
much joy. But what would have happened if I’d quit in year ten? Year thirteen?
Year fourteen and a half?
When I’m asked what advice I would give to unpublished writers,
I always include DON’T QUIT!
Life is like that. As I write this, it’s been more than three
years since I was diagnosed with bilateral brain tumors—and believe me, it
hasn’t been easy or quick. There’s been countless times in the past 3 ½ years
when I wanted to throw in the towel. Give up. Quit.
Instead, I’ve learned to
keep my eyes on Jesus, knowing that he will see me through once again.
It doesn’t matter what goals or dreams you have, you’ve got to
stick to it. If you quit, you won’t get there. Doesn’t matter if it’s to learn
to play a piano, lose weight, be a writer, or even to hula hoop.
If you quit, it won’t happen.
Worthwhile ain’t necessarily easy or quick!
BIO:
Lillian
Duncan: stories of faith mingled with murder &mayhem!
Lillian is a
multi-published writer with several Amazon bestsellers, including The Christmas
Stalking and Betrayed. Lillian writes the types of books she loves to
read—fast-paced suspense with a touch or two of romance that demonstrates God’s
love for all of us.
Whether as an educator, a writer,
or a speech pathologist, she believes in the power of words to transform lives,
especially God’s Word.
To learn more about Lillian and her
books, visit: www.lillianduncan.net. Tiaras
& Tennis Shoes is her personal blog at www.lillian-duncan.com.
GOD, LIFE & HULA HOOPS BLURB:
God uses the oddest
things to teach us what he wants us to learn—what we need to learn in order to
have a better life. I’m sure there are weirder examples, but God used the hula
hoop to teach me new things, give me more wisdom, and clarify some old ideas
for me.
In 2012, I was
diagnosed with bilateral brain tumors. It’s not been an easy journey, nor is it
over. But God has held my hand every step of the way. 2 Corinthians 1:4 tells
us to comfort others just as we have been comforted by God.
In God, Life & Hula
Hoops, I share some of the spiritual lessons that have helped me during this
difficult time in hopes that you will be comforted as well.
********
Thanks Lillian for guest blogging while I recover from surgery.
