Falling in Love Again

One of the most remarkable things I have experienced in the past four years is the discovery of my life's passion. I'm talking about "passion" with regards to a life's work, or dream, or purpose. My first passion is always supposed to be Jesus, but He also gives us the desires of our hearts, so being passionate about something is a good thing (so long as it doesn't turn into an idol or an obsession). Some people define passion as "purpose" or "gifts;" I choose to define it as something I am inexplicably compelled to do. For me, it has been, and probably always will be, writing.

I'm a bookworm, a story addict, the biggest nerd God ever made when it comes to writing and literature. A good "night-in" for me consists of popcorn, pj's, and Shakespeare. That may sound like an absolute nightmare to you, but for me it is perfection itself. Why? I get so swept away by the intricacies of stories, the development of people, the drive for something unattainable that suddenly becomes tangible. I've always been this way, even since I was a little girl. While lots of kids play with dolls, I wasn't setting up weddings and tea parties for my dolls...my dolls were pioneers in the Midwest who were kidnapped by Indians, and then a giant tsunami wiped out the Great Plains so the pioneers had to rescue the Indians. That is probably the worst story ever, but it was my own. I love to create, to narrate, and I love being inspired by real people. 

When I got my current job at an elementary school, I was ecstatic. God has really provided for my needs in rich ways, and I am so grateful. However, the other day I was talking with my father about my future. 

"Daddy," I said, "I honestly don't know what future doors this job will open. I mean, I don't know what I want as a career. All I really know is that I want to be a writer."
"Well," he replied. "That is your career. You have a job, but writing is your career, and you are still doing that."

THANK GOD for wise Daddies who can put into words what I've been feeling in my heart. It's true. What is it that keeps me up until two in the morning, not even caring that I'm tired? Writing. What is it that fuels me, and allows me to have dreams for God and myself that are so wild and seemingly impossible I can't help but want to try for them? Writing. What could I do everyday without ever getting bored? Writing. Any other occupation feels like a job; writing feels like falling in love.

I've kind of neglected my passion these past couple weeks. Between getting a new job, being hit head-on by a drunk driver and dealing with that mess, life drama, vacation, birthday, and helping around the house, guess what went on the back burner. Slowly, however, I'm feeling the call to get back. It's actually more like an addiction and I need another fix. So, here are the goals for this week in writing.

1. Send out Agent Queries. No big deal, right? Ahhhh!

2. More editing. Who was I kidding, I'll never be done editing this thing.

3. Reach the end of the story, and revise the conclusion

4. Settle on a title. For reals.

It's a lot of work, but it never feels like work. Time to get cracking!