The Process Begins…

I wrote a long blog post that some how got lost. That was two days ago. No worry, I didn’t know where I was going with it anyway.

Today, Friday, I’m working on a new book, developing the story, the characters, the plot, trying to find some connections between the past and the present, between the characters and me.

Emotion. It’s the key to a great story. Creating characters that look, feel and act like real people.

The hardest part of writing is the doubts. “Does this book matter?” “Who’s going to read it, really?” “Am I just going the same ole same ole?” “Is this all my career will ever be?”

So the process begins…

Every once in awhile, God breaks in tangibly. I know He is always with me, but in my humanity I’m not always aware. In His kindness, He breaks through my cluttered soul and says, “Watch Me.”

I know it means keep my eyes on Him. I also think it means, “You don’t know what I have planned.”

The Lord never wants us discouraged! Meaning, without courage. Doesn’t mean life will be easy, or the disappointments won’t come, but we gather ourselves and find courage, and head on down the road to our “appointments!” with Him.

Writing is a chore. There are days I wonder why I do this. It’d be so nice to go to an office and get a regular paycheck.

But… I’d be boxing myself in. Taking the easy road. The one that is okay but not where He has called me.

I love this verse…

Song of Solomon 4:8

Come with me from Lebanon, my bride, May you come with me from Lebanon. Journey down from the summit of Amana, From the summit of Senir and Hermon, From the dens of lions, From the mountains of leopards.

Jesus is calling us from “Lebanon” or our human comfort and frailty, to journey with Him over the mountains and through the valleys, from the cares and worries, the burdens, the warfare of this life.”

It’s only in realizing WHO He is we realize Who we are and the journey becomes not a series of disappointments and set backs, but merely a sojourn through mountains and valleys with Him. Holding His hand. He changes our perspective by giving us a mountain top view.

Here’s some great insight from teacher Mike Bickle.

He says in verse 8, “I will take you up on it then. Come with Me from Lebanon. Come with Me, My Bride. Look from the top of the mountain of Amana.” That is a mountain range in Lebanon. The Lord says in effect, “Okay, you said you will go to the mountain in verse 6. Here we are in verse 8—come, let’s do it.”

She thinks, “Ah, hum, okay, let’s do it. I will live out that new dedication.”

Again, it is not just an eccentric kind of outward, one-time event. It is a whole way of carrying your life with God where you are really going to obey Him with your time, your money, your passions, your words, and what you do with your energy. I will go to the mountain.

Notice this… He says that you are looking from the top of the mountains with Him. You are going to have that bigger perspective from the place where He is, but there are lions and leopards up here. There are battles. There are devouring animals up here that will come against you up there. You have to know that.

Lions and leopards. She must war against lions and leopards—animals that devour humans. Satan is a roaring lion (1 Pet. 5:8). This verse speaks of spiritual warfare (Eph. 6:10-12).

Lions and leopards are animals that devour. A higher dedication always brings a greater demonic resistance, always.

When there is a new level of dedication, a new level of believing God, there will be a new level of demonic attack against you. There are lions and leopards up on those mountains—lions and tigers and bears, oh my!

End of Bickle notes.

It’s not enough for me to say, “Yea, I’m going with you Jesus,” but I have to devote myself to the training and the trail.

My brothers hike the Appalachian Mountain trails. Once they decide to go, they don’t just drive to the trail opening with a high-ho, let’s go.

“Did you bring a tent?”

“No, I thought you did?”

“I was going to bring the food.”

“Did you?”

“Well, I ran out of time. No worry, there’ll be berries on the bushes.”

They wouldn’t last a day! So why is our journey with God often taken haphazard? Sometimes our being “led by the Spirit” looks more being driven by our feelings.

We must certainly be led by the Spirit, but with the Lord many, many, many times the leading is nothing more than practicals.

It’s butt-in-chair time to write. Or read five chapters of my Bible. Or spend fifteen minutes just worshipping.

It might mean the check book says you can’t give but God says you can. So you obey. It might be you go to bed early so you can get up for a prayer meeting.

Maybe it means believing God instead of your feelings or your circumstances.

Look, the journey isn’t about being a better “you.”

It’s about being conformed to Him. And what’s wild is you end up becoming a better you. I’ve found that to be true for me. Not bragging I’m all that and a bag of chips, but looking back over the last 25 years, I’m changed. (Thank goodness!)

So, back to writing. Each book is another step in my journey with Him. I don’t always know or see what He’s doing with me and in me during the process, but I know I’m with Him. He’s leading me.

I can trust Him. I just can! So can you.

Off to write… seriously.

(not responsible for typos… ;p)