Discouragement: do you struggle with it? I do. Its ugly voice is part of my life and is loudest when I want to create, especially when I write. Yes, that voice pierces with familiar arrows when I am most vulnerable in the creative process. It whispers I am not enough and lists all the reasons for me to quit. But press on, we have intercessors.
I imagine the Holy Trinity in heaven…
“Oh Father, my sister is going to be so discouraged next year. She may even want to quit writing.”
“Yes,” Father said. “I see that.”
“What might we do?” asked Jesus.
Holy Spirit suggested: “We need to encourage her in a really creative way.”
“Yes,” Jesus responded, “But what could we do to encourage her to keep going?”
“It has to be something she can’t miss. You know how busy she is. Sometimes she doesn’t see our signs,” said Holy Spirit.
Father added, “I have noticed many of our children are too busy to notice the gifts we send.”
“But, how could we get her to notice our message?” asked Jesus. “Humm…we could have children play a part in it. She will notice kids. Remember when we created her with such a love for children?”
“Yes, that was so fun! And a mighty love for words,” added Holy Spirit.
Jesus offered, “Well, we know she is going to the writing conference next year. She will be listening to our Word for days. That will be a good time to hear from us. Maybe we should send some teens there?”
“Yes,” Father said. “There is group a group of high schoolers planning a mission trip to her area. We could have them land in the same spot for a few days.”
“That’s a great idea Father!”
Holy Spirit said, “We could make a sign. A big sign. I mean A HUGE SIGN. Maybe with huge red shoes like her main character Gabby wears. How could she miss that one?”
Jesus laughed. “Oh, Holy Spirit, how do you think of these great ideas? But what would the sign say?”
“How about KEEP GOING?”
Father considered this, “But she may keep going in the wrong direction. How about: FOLLOW?”
“AHHH yes, Father. FOLLOW. She needs to keep following us.”
Holy Spirit: “OK, so we have the time, the place, and the kids. There will be a giant sign with a clear message. This is exciting. Let’s pray she has eyes to see.”
“And ears to hear,” added Jesus.
“Amen,” said Father.
In unison, “Selah.”
On earth one year later on the second evening of the writing conference.
“Oh Lord, I am just so discouraged. Am I released? It doesn’t seem like anything is working out for the Gabby series. Lord, I am not testing you. But God, I need direction. I need a next step.”
The day after this prayer, while in line for lunch at the conference, I met a highly energetic young man named Zane. His nametag revealed he was a chaperone for the youth conference that had been staying in Wheaton, IL, at the same facility all week. I had been searching for a leader to thank for their service and to share how encouraged I had been to hear the excitement from the teens about their service to Chicago.
As we chatted, I noticed Zane was wearing red high-top gym shoes, as was I, and many of the students. I thought I was pretty cool to match all these hip kids; but ironically, our conversation revealed that the logo for their mission trip was red, high-top gym shoes. So, it wasn’t my keen sense of fashion. We chatted how my main character Gabby wears red high-tops. Zane looked me straight in the face and said, “You need to go to the college gym.” He advised me to hurry because it was going to be locked soon to get ready for the evening’s events.
So, I did. I ran to the gym and as I entered, I stopped dead in my tracks. Before me was an ENORMOUS sign with a red high-top gym shoe and the word “FOLLOW” on posters all around the gym and on the floor. With blurred eyes and goosebumps on my skin, I overflowed with thankfulness at the “God-wink” to keep following Him. “Yes, Lord. I will continue to follow You in the footprints of the One who gave me this love for children and words!”
I am humbled to think how God intercedes for us. “Thank you, God, for working in advance of your children. Thank you, Spirit, for creating the steps that woo us. Thank you, Jesus, for walking with us so we can follow You.”
I was encouraged to take the next step to write. To create. To press on. And I hope you do, too.
In heaven
Laughter. Light. Hope.