My Gift And Calling

Most of you who read my blog regularly already know how I came to be a writer and the author of three published books with two on the way. But since there are some who don't know, I'll tell you how it came to be that I received this wonderful gift from God.

In high school I enjoyed English a lot, it was actually my favorite class. I loved to diagram sentences and learn about prepositions and such. (Yes, I was a nerd, lol) My favorite assignments were those that involved writing short stories or poems. I would get excited when given the challenge from my teachers and would hurry to my room after school and start immediately on them. It was the ONE piece of homework that I actually enjoyed. I usually got an A on my stories, thereby making me happy and proud of my work. I never shared them with anyone except the teacher and occasionally the class when she had us read them aloud to everyone.

But unfortunately, school is where I left my writing and forgot all about the passion it stirred inside me as a young girl.

After graduation, I got married, worked a job, had my son, and lived a life void of any creativity whatsoever, except for the occasional bunny Easter cake for a church cake walk. Not much creativity to be had there, I mean how hard is it to pour some batter into a rabbit shaped pan and throw on some coconut, lol. I'm not knocking the art of cake baking at all, I'm just stating that the simplest cake to make was as far as my talents took me at that point in life. I have never been very good at picking paint colors or patterns for my home either, that's why I pay to have it done for me. So all in all, I never felt very gifted in anything in life or never thought I had any talents in any area except helping at church to raise money. I was pretty good at that, but let's face it, anyone can put together a fund raiser.

Anyway, I went on about my life, doing what I wanted in the way of living for myself, falling in and out of love, moving and working dead end jobs that I really didn't enjoy but knew I had to have to live and pay bills.

UNTIL!!!

One day in January 2015, the second to be exact, I lost the one job that I was very good at doing and where I was making over seven thousand dollars a month. I was devastated, to say the least. It wasn't my favorite job ever, there was an exorbitant amount of stress and the hours were killer. But I was the best in the area and I felt sales was my calling at the time. So when I got the news that they were letting me and several others go, it was a complete shock and life changer. Thank God for savings and 401K that carried me for a whole year.

The next few days were spent in bed, being depressed and wondering what I was going to do next. I thought about going back to the hospital that I had worked at in that city but really didn't have any desire. I thought about starting my candle business back up but had lost touch with many of my clients, so I wasn't particularly feeling that either. I was actually feeling a little lost.

So one day, I woke up early, rolled over and stared out the window at the sky. This next part is a little kooky so bear with me, lol. I began to see a little "movie", I'll call it, in my mind as I lay in bed. I could see a story playing out in my mind's eye like it was really going on. I watched it for a few minutes and then got up. It was as if what happened next was meant to happen and nothing could have derailed it. I was on a new path that I wasn't even aware of at the time. I sat down in my recliner, opened my laptop and said hello to destiny. Upon opening Microsoft Word, I began to type. I typed with a fervor that I'd never had before with anything I'd ever attempted. It was as if I was on a mission that wouldn't be aborted if I had even wanted to try and stop.

Finally one day about a week later, my son asked me what I had been doing. I told him that I was "writing a book". The kid looked at me like I had two heads and grinned.

"Okay," was all he said and went on about his business.

But five months later, after many sleepless nights doing what felt came naturally, I had a completed manuscript that I was ready to send out to be published. I couldn't describe the feeling to you if I tried of what it felt like to finally see a finished book in my documents folder on my laptop. I can, however, tell you that when I typed the words "The End", the feeling that washed over me was pure elation. I was SO happy!!! I had done it!! I cried as I turned my laptop around for my son to see. He had been my cheerleader for the five months that I worked and so of course that book was dedicated to him. It seemed to have come easy and naturally. There had been no struggle as I typed, there had been no writer's block with that one, there had been no wondering where the story would go. As I stated earlier, it played like a movie in my mind as I typed it out, bringing to life Jack and Sheryl Howard, their kids and all of life's problems. They were my first babies and I have a special love for them.

I had a feeling that I was onto something as I sat there day in and day out, typing. I knew that my life would never be the same after that, I just hadn't figured out yet that it was my calling. I knew I had a knack for it, as they say, because I had actually ended up with a published book.

I had no idea it was a gift from God that He would end up using for His Kingdom almost three years later. My heart is so full right now as I type this blog. You have no clue yet as to what God is doing with my writing and I can't wait to share it with you all, but now is not the time.

I went on to start part two of The Letter, which still has a working title of The Fallout, but soon put it to the side when I was contacted by an editor in mid to late 2015 who wanted to know what other stories I had in mind. I began to tell her of a little story I had thought about writing but was still unsure. Needless to say, after hearing the content, she was all for it and that is how Ultimate Betrayal was born. That was a difficult book to write because of the subject matter but I kept on trucking and got her done, as they say in the south. Part two, Breaking Free came about because of reader demand and so I put it out and now I'm finished with that series.

I am proud of my work and my accomplishments but I know that God is taking me elsewhere with my writing. I will no longer be writing in that genre of adult romance. I know that disappoints many of you because you fell in love with those characters, well with Mary and Emily. You ALL hate John, lol. But anyway, they are put to rest in writing and you'll just have to wait for the movie, which is still on track.

I want to share so much about what's actually happening in my life right now as far as my writing is concerned, but like I said, the time will come to announce what's going on. I can say that I've never been happier or more at peace than I am at this very moment in my life. I have found God to be faithful, loving, good, a comfort, my help, my peace, and my best friend. And whatever He wants me to do, I will do. Whatever path He chooses for me to walk, I will walk it with Him.

So I'll end with this verse from the Bible, my favorite book of all. It's Proverbs 18:16. "A man's gift maketh room for him and bringeth him before great men."

I read a great little article that spoke of the very thing of which I blogged tonight and I'll include the link below for you to read. He said that our gifts will enable us to fulfill our visions. I can't tell you how much that lines up with what's taking place in my life right now. It's been spoken over me by FOUR different people, who didn't know each other, what God will do with my gift. The first one to prophesy to me did so last November when I was in the middle of writing Breaking Free. My first thought was, NO WAY! Then over the course of the next few months, I guess God had to really get His point across to me as to what I'd be doing for Him, because He sent three other people who are totally unrelated in any way, to tell me the exact same words spoken to me by the first woman. Let me tell you when God wants your attention, He can get it, lol.

So I've taken my gift that He gave me in the first place and come full circle with it. I tried it on my own and was successful, but when God came into it, I realized that there's no one else I'd rather be writing for than Him. I told my friend Angie that I'd rather write one book for God and the uplifting of His kingdom than a thousand for myself. I've dedicated my gift back to God and each time I blog or work on my new book, I pray that His words would flow through my fingers and what He wants to be said will end up on the page.

This blog has been long, I know, but I hope that it helps you to see that we all have a gift, we just have to sit still and allow God to bring it to us. And when He does, we have to use it for His glory, not our own. Ask God today what it is that He wants you to do in life. Ask Him to show you where your gift and talents are, and I promise He will show you. Then use that gift for Him and His Kingdom. Use it to edify and encourage others around you. Use it for good.

Here is the link to the article I read: http://www.gillistriplett.com/manhood/articles/yourgift.html

Remember to work hard and Dream Big!!

Much love,

Christy