This was me as a child. I imagined myself on my little flying carpet gathering stories to write down later. But later never came. My family moved so often, that my treasured tales seemed to fly away with the wind. The teachers that encouraged my talent were left behind, and my friends were left behind, too. Like the friends in those story ideas. It might have well-been someone else’s dream. After all, I was assured by someone dear to me that there’s always another who can do it better than you, no matter how good you are at anything. I believed that lie for a very long time. Decades even.
Quoting my author friend, Candace West, from Mosaic Collection’s Song of Grace:
You know, sometimes life takes away our dreams only to hand them back to us, redefined and often unrecognizable. More often than not, what remains is the best part of all ~Forever Mine
God stirred that dream a little at a time over the years. After self-publishing a few of my writings as devotional books, I dared to believe perhaps I could, after all, write a full-length novel. What a journey it has been. Three and a half years of not only developing the story but learning how to write it effectively. Not one to quit easily until the last word is done, I pressed through. And that’s where in the past I’ve allowed the dream to die.
On Mother’s Day my son and his family (via my daughter-in-love’s thoughtful creativity) gifted me this bracelet. They believed in my dream, and my God-confidence received a much-needed boost. Our church gifts all moms with lovely roses on Mother’s Day. I was somehow blessed with two. Aren’t they beautiful?! And the message on the charm: She believed she could so she did.
Just like God to add emphasis to His messages, a lady in our Sunday School class gifted each of us this bookmark on Mother’s Day.
Our Ladies’ Sunday School class has been studying Bruce Wilkinson’s book Releasing God’s Abundant Blessings for the last few months as I awaited news from a publisher considering my manuscript. If you are unfamiliar with the book, it is about asking God to expand your territory — your sphere of influence for His glory. Wilkinson wrote another book, The Dream Giver, which I’ve been reading alongside. God’s timing is so perfect!
The overwhelming feeling of awe to see God’s hand at work answering prayers, the humbleness of seeing my territory expand and doors to my dream opening, and the amazement of what God could do and has done have totally blown me away. They shouldn’t have. He loves to answer His children’s prayers!
Most of you have seen this already on social media, but I’m sharing it one more time on my blog. I’m so thankful for Celebrate Lit Publishing‘s confidence in offering me this contract. I’m very excited to be working with their talented and caring team.
Many of you have followed my journey right here. You’ve seen the title go from Clara’s Cameo to Tangled Promises. And you’ve seen me chop the long long narrative into parts to create the series. (And the name could change again.) There is so much work ahead to bring the books into print and ebook, and ultimately to you the reader. I cherish your prayers along the way.
The real truth is no one can do me better than me, and that’s true for you, too. What dreams linger for you? Pursue them. God has a plan for each of us.
Copyright 2022, Lynn U. Watson