Well, believe it or not, I committed a first on the first day of January, 2008. It will not seem at all amazing to you strict organizers of Christmas Pasts. You know who you are. Barring an act of God, that tree comes down—or is already long gone or packed away—on New Year’s Day. Your outdoor lights are no longer brightening up the neighborhood, and your seasonal decorations are neatly tucked away in their specific boxes, ready to easily unpack for next year. Well . . . good for you. This first for me won’t seem like any big deal to you. In fact, you’ll probably be snickering or tsking under your breath at my sense of accomplishment. Go ahead.
Today I took down the tree, the decorations, and all the multiple rooms of indoor lights, including the lit-up nativity scene, the lit-up mantle, the lit-up dining room decorations, the lit-up stairs, upstairs lighting in the foyer and windows. My husband and son took down the outdoor lights. All I have left to put away are two Christmas tablecloths in the kitchen and family rooms. And I reorganized the storage room which holds all this stuff.
This is a first for me because I love Christmas, and I don’t really want the decorations to come down inside or out. They’re lovely, and I enjoy them, usually for a little while after New Year’s. Not this year. And I don’t know why. I really don’t. I did a great job, too. Amazing.
So, I’m wondering what other firsts will take place this year. Again I have that sense of excitement and anticipation brewing in my spirit. What will happen? What will the Lord do with me?
I will make a more “market-oriented” announcement later, but some of you already know my second novel will be out soon. I’m excited and nervous all at the same time. As you know, when you pay to produce your own work, you’re making a statement about your writing—that you believe in it, enough to throw money at it and face the risks of no one wanting to take a chance on it because a reputable publishing house didn’t produce it. Understandable, too. A lot of us fancy ourselves writers.
The only thing I can offer in my defense is this: I know what I like to read, and I write in a genre that isn’t solely romance but leans heavily in that direction. My work contrasts the secular worldview of relationship, romance, love, and sex to that of God’s. The characters are lost, found, and all things in between. I don’t often find the kinds of stories I seek in this genre, so I write them.
Do you anticipate a first this year? Or perhaps you’ve already accomplished one. What will the Lord do with you?
Father, my desire is to be fully submitted to your plan for me. Not always as easy as I hope it to be, but that is my heart-cry. Ever more dependent upon you, ever more obedient to you, and ever moving forward in you. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.
*Please continue to pray for Kristy Dykes.*
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