Good Monday morning, Seekerville! How has your 2023 started? Off with a bang?
At the Wright house, ours started slothfully and is still rather slothful. The week of Christmas had me down for the count with fever, bronchitis, and then it was followed with the stomach flu, and now I'm on sick bed hangover with my son who decided to follow in his mother's footsteps.
All that to say, I thought I'd be about 20,000 words further into my book deadline. Alas. Not so. But this is the writing life, right? We're all used to deadlines never going as planned.
I've learned a lot about the phrase "God redeems our time" in the last two years. When I look back at a bullet list of "life", I realize that it's only God's grace that gets us through. Since 2021, I've experienced:
- Passing of my Mom
- Loss of my 18 year position at the day job (thx Covid)
- Loss of health insurance, and then . . .
- Head concussion
- Bronchitis
- Walking pnuemonia
- Covid x's 2
- Lyme Disease seizure relapse
- Car accident
- Another car accident
- ...
And you know what? I KNOW your list looks similar. There's no need to compete for bullet point spaces, because it seems all of our lives have these 'life lessons' on them--or ones of similar sort.
Doing life through the difficult is a feat in itself. It truly is God's grace that we accomplish anything--let alone deadlines. How many times have I prayed "Lord, redeem the time to Your glory"? So many. And I'm praying it still. Praying it as I binge watch Pirates of the Caribbean with my son as I'm thinking about all the things that need to get done . . . but feeling dreadful and sick. Praying it as I struggle trying to figure out finances and life. Praying it as I navigate grief--why didn't anyone tell me year 2 was 100xs worse than year 1? Praying it as I stared at a blinking cursor and think, "this is my career ending novel".
Want some encouragement today? Somehow through this "time redemption" prayer system, I've met every deadline without requesting extensions. And, there have been weird, unexpected blessings that really shouldn't be able to happen. It's a nicer bullet list:
- A secondary "office" at my Dad's house where I write and he has company
- Beginning of a new career as a Social Media Manager for authors in the writing community
- A month-long family trip to the Oregon Coast (gifted to us by loving friends and family)
- Three books written with met deadlines and very few edits required! (WHAT??)
- A litany of encouraging notes and gifts and long distance hugs from readers
- Espresso made by my burgeoning barista of a daughter
- Time to snuggle with my son while we're sick
- ... and so on
So I write this today in hopes to encourage you. God sees you. He WILL provide. He will redeem the time . . .
How can we pray for you?
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Jaime Jo Wright loves to read—and write—fiction with elements of mystery, faith, and romance from her home in Wisconsin. She's a coffee drinker by day and night, lives in dreamland, and exists in reality.
Good morning, Jaime! Is there anything better in life than sharing popcorn with little boys?? LOL, my little boy is now 30, and instead of sharing popcorn with him, I tend to throw it (something I never encouraged when the kids were young!! LOL!)
ReplyDeleteWhat a list of frustrations, each one compounded by the next. I'm sorry life had a bulls' eye on you! Like you said, we've all had frustrations over the past 2 years, so no need in comparing bullet points. But, it's still a sink hole in the road of life that, as each of us encounters it, we pray and know God will help us through.
Yes, it's been a messy couple of years, but as you also pointed out, good has happened, too! Grab on to all the positives and let's make 2023 one of the best years yet!
Audra, the Anonymous
You made all your deadlines! Fantastic! So glad you can spend extra time with your dad. I'm sure he loves having your close! So sorry about your Mama! XOXO
ReplyDeleteBless you, Jaime, it's been a tough stretch, but I love that you are finding the joy and blessings in the midst of the slog.
ReplyDeleteSo sorry for all you have been through lately, Jaime. How amazing you made all your deadlines. Hope you and your son are both on the mend soon.
ReplyDeleteSuch an encouraging post, Jaime! So sorry for everything you've been through. In it all, God's right there. He never leaves us. It's comforting when we look back and see he was there the whole time. I just realized as I was typing this I will be attending a second funeral in less than two weeks tomorrow. Let's pray for peace and comfort for each other in the coming year.
ReplyDeleteJaime, this was a touching post. I am so sorry about your dear mother. You are amazing.
ReplyDeleteHow encouraging it is to put our frustrations down on pair and pair then up Auth the ways God has been faithful through it all. The last three- to five y years have been some of the hardest of my life, but I do believe God has- and will continue- to grow me thrive it. Here's to a bright new year!
ReplyDeleteThank you for your post, Jaime. I so needed to hear that. I'm sorry for your losses and setbacks and frustrations. But I am so blessed by your willingness to share them.
ReplyDeleteI'm so sorry for all of your setbacks but I appreciate your willingness to share them, I also admire your positive outlook and your powerful witness of faith. God Bless!!
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