Have you ever experienced moments when life seems to spin out of control? You find yourself flat on the ground, still dizzy, and wondering, “What happened?”
It all seemed so logical way back when. You were growing in writing skills. You felt ready for more responsibility. You volunteered to help. Maybe it started with a church newsletter. You added a little job here, a little job there…until one day you discovered you were juggling that newsletter, three blogs, your novel, a local news column, AND you just took on the presidency of your local PTA! All it would take is the weight of a fly added to your juggling act, and the whole thing would come crashing down.
That’s what happened to me two weeks ago. I’d already sensed the instability. Those little obligations were not allowing me to get to my “real” writing. I’d get the weekly critiques out of the way, then remain stumped as to my next blog post. Or, where was I going with this next chapter anyway? Frustrating. And then covid happened.
The first couple of days were like the flu. Okay. I could handle some body aches. But the next twelve days after that, I morphed into Sleeping Beauty. Friends and neighbors sent soup, comfort food, warm socks. I have fuzzy memories of thanking them and of my husband nearly force-feeding me.
I lay on the couch and wondered how I could possibly write my blogs and make those deadlines. Then I drifted off. It wasn’t important anymore.
Did you catch that? It wasn’t important anymore!
Sleeping Beauty woke up yesterday. The fog had lifted from my brain. I studied my writing calendar. I had one obligation. This blog post. I could do that. And I also realized I needed to re-prioritize some things in my life. No more juggling feats! As I get stronger, I’m sure I’ll add some responsibilities. But I’ll be praying about it first.
I’ve been reading Thomas R. Kelly’s A Testament of Devotion, and other than the Bible, it’s the biggest influence in my life right now. Kelly was a Quaker who deeply held to the precept of the Holy Center when communing with God and obeying Him. The beauty of the Holy Center is saying “yes” to God but free to say “no” to man, especially if God hasn’t given you the go-ahead.
I know God has called me to write. I know I am to write some blogs and I am to write some books, and I will write on His timetable. I know He calls me to serve others for He never puts Christians on earth to simply serve themselves. The tricky part is learning to stay in the Holy Center so I will hear His voice clearly. And that is my goal for 2022 and forever.
I'll leave you with a quote from Thomas Kelly: “Life from the Center is a life of unhurried peace and power. It is simple. It is serene. It is amazing. It is triumphant. It is radiant. It takes no time but it occupies all our time. And when our little day is done, we lie down quietly in peace, for all is well.”
Linda had always figured she’d teach middle-graders until school authorities presented her with a retirement wheelchair at the overripe age of eighty-five. However, God changed those plans when He gave her a growing passion for writing fiction. In May of 2016, she blew goodbye kisses to her students and dedicated her work hours to learning the craft.
A wife, mother of three, and grandmother to eight, Linda regales the youngest grandchildren with “Nona Stories,” tales of her childhood. Maybe one day those stories will be in picture books!
Where Linda can be found on the web:
www.facebook.com/lindasammaritan
www.twitter.com/LindaSammaritan
I hope you continue to improve and emerge from the COVID fog. What a powerful message about the Holy Center. I think I need to get a copy of that book.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Beth. I hope you do get the book. And just read a page at a time. Even a paragraph at a time! I can't recommend it enough. For everyone I know!
ReplyDelete