Walking on Water

After a short vacation, I’m finding it hard to get back into the groove, especially my writing groove. And my thoughts are telling me to:

Take a little more time off.

It won’t make any difference.

Who reads your stuff anyway?

Does your writing make any difference?

Who cares what you have to say?

Did God really call you to write about your ordinary life?

Who do you think you are?

Why don’t you just quit!

Sound familiar?  

So, feeling discouraged, rather than write, I decided to organize my messy desk. But towards the bottom of an overstuffed in-basket, held together with a paperclip, I came across this small stack of quotes:

“Unflinching, uncomfortable, and unapologetic honesty is what makes a memoir stand out.” Shannon Leone Fowler.

“When we share our real selves, others are inevitably emboldened to come forward, out of hiding, towards us and say those magic words, ‘me too’.” Glennon Doyle

“If you’ve got a story burning inside you, it’s likely that somebody out there is burning to hear it. The more personal it is, the more universal it is too.” Glennon Doyle

“Technique holds a reader from sentence to sentence, but content will stay in his mind.” Joyce Carol Oates

“Do not despise the era in which the Lord has chosen to make you an influence.” Katie Emanuel

“Your book is not self-promotion, but a gift to your reader.” Emily P. Freeman

“You publish to influence others for good. You’re not done until they read it.” Gary Morland

“I’m the one who must give myself permission to release my memoir into the world.” Karen Pickell

“All God’s giants have been weak men who did great things because they believed God would be with them. Satan too has his creed: Doubt God’s faithfulness. Has God said? Are you not mistaken as to his commands? He could not really mean that. You are taking the meaning literally. Ah! How constantly, and alas how successfully are such arguments used to prevent wholehearted trust in God, wholehearted consecration to God.” Hudson Taylor, First Missionary to China

These quotes remind me that writing can be a hard row, and sometimes it’s hard to keep your head above water, but please notice, I quit cleaning my desk and wrote this blog.

“Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.”

“Come,” he said.

Matthew 14:28-29

Where are you drowning in your own negative thoughts? Let’s trust the Lord instead.

Cover photo by Vince Fleming on Unsplash