As a storyteller, it's easy to be excited about the beginning with the opening song, wind in your hair and driving through a new town or to that dream job. We have the butterflies and anticipation, the endless hope and possibilities of what can happen and where the story can go. Or we romanticize the ending - the dream has come to fruition, good has triumphed over evil and now we can all live happily ever after. But, what about the middle? As a writer, it can be the most challenging - it's where you hit a wall of where you want the story to go, how you want the characters to react and what you want them to do. The question is always how can I do XYZ or when will it be my turn? Wouldn't it be nice to see the ending, just to have an idea of where we were going? Or a trailer like you'd watch before a movie or TV show to decide if you want to keep moving forward? That's not how God operates, though, is it? |
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We are all works of art that are simply in progress. I've always had to fight the need for perfection – all or nothing. If I can't give it my everything, then I'd rather not start. but, if that's the case, then there's still so much possibility left inside of me. it really is about the journey and not the destination. It's in the messy middle that we mold our character through the mistakes, the successes, the heartbreak, the little moments of magic along the way, that write our story and help us to become who we're meant to. |
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Before I transferred to the university, I'd mapped out this idea of how I wanted and thought my life was going to go. I wrote out all the dreams and plans I had, which looked a little something like: - graduate
- get a job/save money
- get a car
- move to nashville
- land the dream job
- marry the country singer
- build the house with a wraparound porch…
- Keep living life
You get the idea! I had no shortage of dreams and what I wanted the rest of my career and journey to look like. But, I also knew that I wanted what God had planned for my life. My grandpa always encouraged me to pray for God's will in my life. And that's what I did. One thing we often forget about praying for God's will? His ways are not our ways. His version of our lives might look very different. Or they might happen but take a very different path to get there. And that is a hard thing to wrap your mind around, especially in your 20's, when you're full of zest, passion, dreams and ready to take on the world. I was on a track - I was doing public relations: Writing press releases, coordinating with local media for interviews and events on campus, I was trying to bring the blog back, I was taking photos (basically a little bit of everything, because it was only me and one other person, who was usually interim). I was trying to write for any and every site I could just to get experience or get my name out there. But, I was wrapping so much of my identity in the work I was doing. In that, I clung to God because I knew I couldn't do it on my own. And while I often treat God like a genie, thinking He's going to give me all the desires and prayers I pray, it rarely works like that. There were so many times I thought doors were opening, only to be closed – a job at the Country Music Hall of Fame and moving to Nashville, applying to the Warner Bros. Writing Program and several MFA programs for screenwriting in the Los Angeles area. Through all the ups and downs of figuring out what the next step of my career would look like, God has always provided. That much, I'm sure of. I've hopped around to different types of work from writing, public relations and media relations, to social media and marketing. I've been able to add new sets of skills to my toolbox each time. And I know it's preparing me for something, because God uses everything as a teachable moment. So, right now…I'm in the messy middle of life. The thick of the plot, wondering what move I'm going to make next, praying about the next right step or simply how to be content in the moments where it's not time to move on just yet. If anything, it's reminding me to focus on Him, not the thing I desire. Those circumstances and dreams are going to shift and evolve as I get older and life happens, but God never changes. |
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{A prayer to carry with you} Lord, Thank you for your provision. I might think I know best, but I give my ideas and plans to you. When I look back at the doors that were closed, I know it was for the best. You, and your protection have never failed me, and I want to trust that even when it doesn't make sense. In Your Name, Amen. |
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A playlist for the little moments of waiting, the reminders for the heartbreaks and things in life that often just don't make sense and those bumpy in-between spaces of becoming who we're meant to be. |
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I want to talk to the creatives out there! Are you a business owner? Photographer? Filmmaker? Etsy store artist? Or do you know someone? Is there someone you've heard about who's doing something so different and unique? I want to hear all about it. I'd love to start chatting with creatives and highlighting their journey, their art and how they've persevered through the challenges and obstacles. AND Let me know what you want to see more of! I hope to provide resources, tips, stories…A community that helps others create and inspire. |
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Stars Hollow Ct.
Bakersfield , CA 93311, USA |
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