For months, at the urging of my spiritual director, I have been praying to find my heart’s desire, to find that thing (not a person – I have those) that inspires me, energizes me; my flow. But you pray for something long enough, and the prayer goes unanswered, and eventually you stop praying for the thing.
The last few months have found me in the doldrums. (Excellent word, by the way, with possible origin in the words dull and tantrum.) Yes, you could say I’ve been having a dull tantrum for a season, the result of an unusually warm summer, a not-fun spring at church, and continued physical pain as my hip heals more slowly than I would like. Plus sometimes I’m just a big baby.
And then I got an idea. I would write a book, a novel, about a church, because I am the First Pastor Ever to think about writing a novel about a church. I thought about it all spring, and I thought about during our first week of vacation, and I thought about it some more the week our kid was at sleep away camp. And then I went away for a week, to the lovely shores of Lake Tahoe with a plum assignment of leading worship once a day.
In my free time, I powered up the ol’ laptop and started writing.
I am having a ball.
Today when I met with my spiritual director I told her I had started writing my book and she commented that light was bouncing all around me. She noted my energy and joy. And then she said, “I think you found your heart’s desire.” I will note that God took God’s sweet time answering my prayer, but a thousand years are but a day, etc. etc.
Here’s the thing: writing this puppy is cathartic, and in twenty years of ministry I have met amazing people who have done strange and wonderful things that inspire the characters. There’s swearing and liturgy. Twists and turns. Recipes. Lists. Thwarted romance. A Yorkie Poo. It is so me.
Back in high school, I aspired to be a writer, but college and theatre and then seminary and ministry got in the way. To be truthful, my daughter’s own love of writing has inspired me, and maybe some day we will write a book together. (I can just hear her saying, in about eight years, “As if.”)
This book will never see binding or a spine or a listing on Amazon. I’m pretty clear about that. It might show up on this blog. It might be a Christmas present to my friends and family. But maybe one’s heart’s desire doesn’t have to have a purpose or action plan. Maybe one’s heart’s desire doesn’t have to lead to success, fame, or fortune. Maybe one’s heart’s desire is simply the thing that leads out of dull tantrums to joy.
That’s all for now – chapter nineteen awaits.
Hold Fast to What Is Good 
I hope you can feel the smile on my face.
I believe it will be a good book and I will want an autographed copy.
Funny you should mention writing a book…….. It has always been my hearts’ desire to write also, and I have turned to writing as I try to reinvent myself and figure out who I am now with the both the most significant human relationship of my life and my 18 + year career as a pastor now over. At the moment I have 2 writing projects going. Real life blog posts like yours that may or may not see the light of day, and a trashy novel too. (Trashy, not in the sense of there being any level of sleaze involved, but in my pretty clear conviction – like yours – that it will never see the light of day in any bookstore.) Mine is full of football and genealogy, intrigue and suspense, trash talk around trash cans, nosy neighbors, investigative reporters, and sprinkled indiscriminately with scripture references throughout! Yours sounds fabulous, by the way. And I DO have a recipe for scalloped oysters that I would be happy to share with you, should you need to include one…..
Sounds joyously wondrous…would be so honored to read a copy! Here’s to light continuing to bounce all around you 😉
Having done the very thing you’re anticipating, let the words flow and then go back and edit like crazy or have someone who can help. It all depends upon what kind of writing you’ll undertake and who your audience is to be – other than yourself. My good wife wrote a gracious book and she encouraged me to do the same…but it’s not as gracious. It did get a kudos or two but not much in the way of sales. So be aware of your audience and the directions you want the flow to go…. an oversized sermon!
Wow, chapter 19! Kudos to you – I am so glad the spirit is flowing! Have 20 printed, hand them out, enjoy the whole entire process – Not that you aren’t publishable – You completely ARE – just that some days that can seem daunting and suck the joy right out – I look forward to reading!!
I simply must have a copy….have you watched 3d season of Orange is the New Black…Crazy Eyes/Suzanne writes a book that she releases chapter by chapter. Perhaps you’d be willing to do that? xoxo
sneak preview
On Sat, Aug 29, 2015 at 4:43 PM, Hold Fast to What Is Good… wrote:
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