Devotion: Grace

One morning as a young child, I was to learn a valuable lesson about grace. Except I had no idea it was called  grace, back in the day....I loved the little lambs frolicking around the farm where we my parents rented a little house. The farmer's daughter's had lambs for Lamb and Calf day and I probably thought I would like that too.This particular morning, I chose a little lamb that I would play with after school. Knowing nothing of the dangers of a thin rope called twine, I tied the lamb to the fence on one end and his neck on the other...  

                                            

                                                                                                    

Off to school I went, without a care. My parents told me later in that the lamb indeed had died...he must have chocked and hanged himself on the fence trying to get free. The farmer asked my parents to pay the price for a fully grown sheep. Over 50 years later, I still feel sad that I did that but it was accidental. A child has very little foresight.

As a child; sometimes as adults; we do and say things that we later regret and there is nothing- absolutely nothing- we can do to change the situation. The only thing we can do is throw ourselves at the mercy of God and His grace.

So what actually is this  'grace'?? I have experianced grace as God's unmerited favour. No- it is not overlooking our sin but a way of restoring us after we have acknowledged our mistakes. Restoring us so that we can start again. 

Grace is also given to us to strengthen us in our weakness for Jesus tells us My grace is sufficient for you. 

There are countless stories in the Bible of Jesus extending grace-not wrath- to men and women who have done things that there was no going back from. In fact, if there was no grace extended, the person may have decided they didn't want to live.  Such is the power of grace.

             How about you? Have you extended grace to someone who has hurt you? 

                                      

In John 8 verses 2- 11 is  the account of a woman being brought to Jesus as she had been caught in the act of adultery. The teachers of the law who had brought her to Jesus, stood ready to stone her- such was the law at that time. On this occasion- instead of answering their questions, Jesus wrote something on the ground with his finger. Then he asked that those who were without sin to cast the first stone. After this,He wrote something else on the ground. As he did this the men left -one at a time.....until there was only the woman and Jesus.
v 10 Jesus straightened up and asked her, "Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you? "
11. "No one, Sir," she said. Then neither do I condemn you." Jesus declared. "go and leave your life of sin."
This is an example of grace. Restorative grace. The law said she must be stoned. John 1 v 14b  Jesus came- full of grace and truth.                               


I wish I could tell you that I didn't do anything stupid after that episode with the lamb but alas I have blown it several times in my life. Mistakes as a daughter, a wife, a mother,a nurse, a friend... and you too will have your own stories where unless you sought the goodness,forgiveness and the grace of God and accepted it; you would have found it hard to live another day.

What I am so grateful for is that Jesus went ahead of us. He went ahead to the Cross; He went ahead  to pay a debt that we could never pay;  He went ahead and prepared grace and  and mercy for us because He knew in advance that without His  grace we might be tempted to give up- such is our disdain, shame and disgust in ourselves at the thought of some of things we have done. He went ahead and planned for us to understand and experiance grace at salvation and  He continues to offer grace to those still considering their options.
                                               How are you at receiving this grace? 

About  Lorraine Goulton:

Lorraine Goulton is a novice writer

from Masterton, New Zealand.

 

Devotion: Unashamed

By Lorraine Goulton @ICFWriters

Luke 15 verses 11-31

A certain father had two very different sons. They all lived on a farm where we are to conclude that the two sons worked. If you know the story of the Prodigal son, you will know that one day, one of the sons decided he was done with working for his father. He asked- in advance- for his share of his fathers estate.  Normally, this share is not given until the death of the parent.

I wonder what was going on in the heart of the son at that time and in the father's heart? The father loved his son very much. He had provided his sons with everything they needed; yet this son seemed to think there was more to be found in Tinseltown.

"I cant wait to get to the Big Smoke" he thought. "I'm out of here".... Out from the Old mans rules...out from getting up early and busting my guts working on the farm.  

I'm going to party hard...with my mates...every single day and night!! Woohooo!! Total freedom is where its at!!

V 14: After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country and he began to be in need. V15. so he went off and hired himself out to a citizen of that country who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. Vs 16. He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating but no one gave him anything.

Wasteful living! We have all done it- in our own fashion and in some measure. Some of us start waking up to ourselves when we reach a scenario that is as attractive as a pigpen.

The mood changes. Gone is his money... The pumping music, his drunk mates, ladies of the night- they have all  lost their appeal and have split the scene. Funny that! While he had money, he had lots of.... 'mates'.

The face of his father comes to his mind.

V17: When he came to his senses...

The son starts rehearsing  a speech to his father. He remembers his fathers wise counsel: "Tell the truth and shame the devil."

V18: I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and and against you. v 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired men v 20 So he got up and went to his father..

Shame has a way of pounding in our ears and telling us lies. Shame can also motivate us to make new choices if we turn our back on it and tell the truth to ourselves and then to a loving father.

Every man and every woman gets the opportunity to rehearse their own speech. As we go to our earthly and our heavenly Father and speak from the heart, we are released from the shame and become unashamed!  If we hold onto our pride and  collude with shame, we risk being  unforgiven and bound.

What about you ? Have you ever been in a position where you either held onto your pride or you starting rehearsing a speech?

This story is a picture of the love of a heavenly father who loves all of us but puts no pressure on us to come to him.

So where are you in the story of the prodigal son? Do you identify with either son?  Do you get a sense  that this was really about a fathers love for his children?

In reading the parable many times, I had no sense of pressure or coercion to come to the father for relationship. However that is what our Heavenly Father is actually more interested in. Yes- its one thing to go to our parents and ask for a loan but a parent longs for relationship. At the end of the day, the prodigal son sees it was all a waste of time to indulge in temporary thrills. He wanted his relationship with his father restored. 

It all comes down to identity. The prodigal son now had a revelation that he was already a  son  in his fathers house and had been, all along.   The father loved him enough to let him  go and try out the temporary things of this world that he believed would bring him life.

The father wasted no time after hearing his sons confession. He asked his servants to quickly bring the best robe and then a ring, then sandals on his feet. He had to celebrate the return of his son.  His son  now had a revelation that he was and still is a loving Father. Our Heavenly Father also puts on a party when we acknowledge His great love for us and with our free will, recite our prepared speech 

The son was beginning to see he had a whole inheritance to step into that was heavenly, invisible and eternal.  Is this something you have ever given thought to?  His earthly father appeared to be quite rich but a heavenly Father has far more for us in terms of inheritance.We dont know how long it took  the son  to get to a heart  shift from "Give me" to "Father I  have sinned against heaven and against you".

The father was so patient and kind towards his sons- both of them- and yet the elder brother changed  his tune and resented the attention shown to his brother by his father upon his return.  God equally loves the son who remained at home who spurns  the love and the inheritance that his father has for him. For those who spurn His love, they still have the opportunity to accept what the father has for them.   

It seemed to be unjust to the faithful son who had stayed at home. We do not know how long his brother had been away. Is it possible that this faithful brother was harbouring anger at his brother and at his father because maybe in his mind, this killing the fatted calf was just too unjust??? Or was this about the fact that this son had actually chosen to harden his heart at the perceived injustice of a feast! 

Maybe this was the older son getting a revelation of the grace and forgiveness of God. 

The last word comes from the father Vs 31. " 'My son,' the father said, you are always with me, and everything I have is yours.vs 32. But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead(spiritually) and is alive again; he was lost and is found.' "

In conclusion,  in the parables of the lost coin and the lost sheep, someone went looking for them. These reflect material possessions however how much more valuable is a soul who is found!!!!!! This time, the Father waited for the son to come to himself. That is where God comes in. He waits. And Waits. And waits. He waits for US to make the first move back to Him. He; in His great love for us MUST let us decide if we want to be found. His heart more than desperately wants us to come to Him but  He also gave us a freewill. This means we are FREE to do as we WILL.... and that can be for good or bad. We get to choose what we WILL. 

What a risk God takes!! All LOVING!!!  He allows us the respect,  dignity and  the honour to CHOOSE for ourselves the bend of our will.  God is a perfect gentleman and he will let us do what we want. 

In this example, the younger son -of his own freewill- chose to return to  the silent but steady love and waiting Father. It would not be love freely reciprocated, if He demanded the affections of our heart.

About Lorraine Goulton

 

Hi, Im Lorraine Goulton from Masterton North Island New Zealand. I love writing and passionately working on my first work about our Identity in Christ.  I know what it is to stuff things up and rehearse speeches. I enjoy shaming the devil!

Married to Colin, we have 7 daughters between us and  have 13 granddchildren.  Currently working  as a Registered Nurse with Wairarapa DHB. Also a volunteer Support Coordinator for Crisis Pregnancy Support-Wairarapa.
https://www.crisispregnancysupport.org.nz/

Living a Balanced Christian Life (and other funny jokes) ... a devotion from Dianne J. Wilson

If you're anything like me, you spend most of your time juggling many things, wondering if you should have them all on your plate and trying to figure out how to 'balance' it all. Sound familiar?

Sometimes I feel like I'm limping along on a flat. Who am I kidding - most times.

I've attempted to fix my life pizza-style. You know, rearrange things into equal time sections so that everything at least gets a touch. That's not realistic though, so I whipped it all about into some sort of redeemed Mazlo's Hierachy... God first, family second, then church... oh wait. Is it meant to be church then family? I just can't get it straight. But where do you fit a book deadline into that? Or car repairs? How about elastics that need to be stitched onto a ballet shoe? Does that legitimately belong in family?

I've winged it too... on-the-fly-allocate more time to those things that are apparently more valuable than others. But you know what? All it takes it one cat with a fur-ball who decides it's time to let it all out over the lounge carpet to blow my priorities out the water. Or a kidlet who forgot about a speech that has to be done for tomorrow. Or a dropped bottle of ketchup-slash-tomato sauce... Fill in the blanks.

I've come to realize what I was missing from the whole equation. To run smoothly every wheel needs an axle, a central point that is constant. For us, that's Jesus. Once He is securely central, the origin for each thing that captures our time and energy... then our lives run balanced.

Here's the funny thing - there will be seasons of complete and utter 'unbalanced-ness' for each of us. A deadline, a new baby... whatever hits your life with enough force to shake you wonky. But when Jesus is smack in the middle, somehow the wheel can still run smoothly.

How can it though, when the spokes - AKA all the demands on us - are sometimes so unequal? Ask any cyclist how bumpy a ride with spokes like that would be.

Here is the secret... Jesus is a magnificent spoke equalizer. He doesn't just stand on the sidelines, barking orders and smacking his forehead when we get it wrong. He is right in the middle of our mess, His grace, the elastic that reaches the bits we can't get to. He stretches and holds on our behalf when our internal elastic is so frayed that our mental and emotional pants are falling down.

Right now for me, life is a stretch. I single-parent during the week, miss my hubby between weekends, try my best to mommy my girls, work, do home & pets and chase my deadlines. Some days I feel like something has to give or I'll conk out. But you know what? I just need to stay cuddled up to Jesus. He has all these things that pull at me, these spokes... He has them all. Where I fall short (so so short) He doesn't. And He's got you too.

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30

Dianne J. Wilson writes novels from her hometown in East London, South Africa, where she lives with her husband and three daughters. She is writing the third book in YA series, Spirit Walker, with Pelican / Watershed. Book 1, Affinity is releasing on the 8th of June 2018.

Finding Mia is available from Amazon, Pelican / Harbourlight, Barnes & Noble and other bookstores.

Shackles is available as a free ebook from Amazon & Smashwords.

Find her on Facebook, Twitter and her sporadic blog Doodles.

Your Winter Is Over

Today's post is a little unusual, so bear with me. If you get to a point that you feel it's not for you, you are most welcome to go make some tea and carry on with your life, or move on to the next blog. I won't be offended in the slightest. Promise.

I decided to move our Allamanda from one side of the garden to the other. We'll be building a garage sometime and that bed will be abandoned. (You can read the tragic saga of our ensuite garage here.) I love my Allamanda with its bright happy trumpets, I couldn't bear the thought of giving up on it. We planted it way back when we first moved in, so it's pretty much part of the family. You know, that part that lives in the garden and doesn't come in for meals. Surely every family has one? Many years of happy growth means it was broadly spread on top and underneath the soil. I needed to move this rather large plant by myself, and the only way to do it, was to chop back the top and the roots quite harshly.  

I know what all the books say about transplanting - take all the roots with, dig a square 1m x 1m and so on. I'm a girl. I can only do so much and, in faith, I did. For weeks, seven to be precise - not that I'm counting - there was every indication that I had committed vicious planticide. The severely hacked branches looked good for only one thing - firewood. BUT! At the beginning of this week, I went over to have a look... and it was sprouting! Vibrant green life peeping through the seemingly dead wood. I won't lie. I nearly hugged my little plant.

Why am I telling you this? You see, that first day when I started hacking my plant in preparation for the move, I felt God whisper to me that this action was significant. I'm learning to listen when He whispers, He often says the most important things in a whisper. This is what I believe He was saying...

You may feel as if your life has been severely chopped back. Things have been stripped away from you, top and bottom. You've been in a place of fruitlessness with no sign of any life or progress.

That season is over. You have been moved to a different place - not one doomed for destruction and abandonment, but a place of growth and fruitfulness. A place of LIFE. For a time there was no visible evidence of His working inside of you, in your life - but now its bursting through the seams in glorious technicolor!

No more dry, dead bark.

Now green shoots and bright flowers.

Welcome to Spring!

Dianne J. Wilson writes novels from her hometown in East London, South Africa, where she lives with her husband and three daughters. She has just signed a three book contract for a YA series, Spirit Walker, with Pelican / Watershed.

Finding Mia is available from Amazon, Pelican / Harbourlight, Barnes & Noble and other bookstores.

Shackles is available as a free ebook from Amazon& Smashwords.

Find her on Facebook, Twitter and her sporadic blog Doodles.

DEVOTION: It's about the one.

And he had to pass through Samaria. So he came to a town of Samaria called Sychar, near the field that Jacob had given to his son Joseph. Jacob's well was there; so Jesus, wearied as he was from his journey, was sitting beside the well. It was about the sixth hour. A woman from Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, “Give me a drink.” – John 4: 4-7 (ESV)

The Samaritan woman at Jacob's well. The story in John 4 (4:1-10) is well known: Jesus encounters a divorced woman at the well, they chat, and He tells her all about her life. She in turns run into town and tells everyone about the man that could be the long awaited Messiah and brings half the town back with her. For me, it is a great story, one of redemption and grace and a beautiful reflection of the heart of God. But there is one verse that really speaks to me in this story and it's verse 4:4 'Now he had to go through Samaria.' Seven words that, for me, are some of the most profound words in the Bible.

Jesus had to go through Samaria. He wasn't just strolling through; He intentionally made his way through Samaria to Jacob's well. He detoured on purpose, going out of His way, and when He gets there, He finds a woman, alone in the heat of the day, drawing water from the well. This is no mere coincidence. Jesus knew He would find her there and He knew she would be alone at that time, so He sat, asked her for water and proceeded to tell her about her life. But He didn't stop there; He then goes on to reveal His identity to this woman, telling her that He is the Messiah. Jesus, King of kings and Lord of lords, reveals himself to a woman who in that day and age would have been an outcast in community. Divorced five times and living with a man out of wedlock, she is the last person he would have been expected to, or allowed to, engage with. But Jesus was never interested in social rules and religious restraints; He was more concerned with showing His Father's love to those who needed it most.  And in this case, He 'had to go' through Samaria so that He could show this Samaritan woman that she is not beyond the love and grace of the Father.

Jesus shows us, time and again, that He is interested in the 'one', but not more so than in this story. When his disciples returned, they were shocked that He was talking with her, but Jesus didn't even flinch because He had achieved what He set out to do and that was to touch the woman's heart. He let her know that she was seen. That despite what society said, she was important and loved and known to the Father in Heaven. And that hasn't changed today. Jesus still wants us to know that we are seen and loved and important. Jesus still wants us to know that He will meet us at our 'well at noon' and will sit with us because that is the love of the Father. We at times may feel that we are too far from God, that we have fallen too far, but we are never far enough that God won't meet us with open arms if we come with the right heart. A heart that wants to know Him and love Him. You may feel today that you are too far, or disconnected, but He see you and loves you just as much today as the day He created you. Or you may have a loved one that you have been praying for that seems too far. Be assured that God sees them; He has His eye on the 'one' and is interested in their heart just as much as He is interested in yours. Because for our Father, it's always about the one.

Leila Halawe is a Sydney based coffee loving nonfiction writer and blogger. She has published a short devotional, Love By Devotion, and shares her life via her blog Looking In. You can connect with her via Facebook at Leila Halawe Author and Twitter @LHalawe.

In the giving.

This is taken from a fund raising devotional 'The Neurotic Rooster.' I wrote it in the form of soliloquys between me and the Lord. These arose out of three short term mission study trips to Africa.

in a Zambian village

To us they seemed small, almost insignificant items. Weight restrictions on aeroplanes limited what we could carry. This, in turn, affected the type of gifts we could take to our hosts and folk in the village. We had a deflated soccer ball, teaching material, a couple of books and a banner made by the Churches of Christ, Green Hills Retirement Village, Maitland in NSW. They also contributed some soft toys they had knitted.

            We saw the boys playing soccer with their home made rag ball. When presented with their own real one the children were beside themselves with excitement. The banner was given at a home Bible Study meeting in a suburb of an East African city. The pastor requested we offer it to a seriously sick woman as a mark of love and support of God's people in Australia. She received it as a representative of her local church. The banner read, ‘Greetings from Australia’ and was decorated with Australian motifs. The joy that radiated from this woman because of the thoughtfulness of unknown people across the seas affected all who were present. Resources are so limited to village schools and village pastors. Our simple gifts of pencils, books and charts encouraged headmaster and teachers alike that Australians would even bother to think about such things. For me the highlight was giving a Bible and Commentary to the pastor. They virtually doubled his ‘library.’

            Once again we had tasted the wonderful truth of what Jesus said, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” This is especially true when done in the Name of Jesus.

            You set the pattern Lord. You have given in a myriad of ways across the centuries to your creation that had nothing to merit such grace. But I guess that’s what grace is, meeting the needs of the needy. You do this even though many don’t even acknowledge your existence let alone your giving. I cannot throw stones at them, for I was one of their number. How grateful I am that somehow or other you opened my eyes to your gift to this world of yourself as Christmas, then Calvary demonstrate. Now I read in Ephesians 1:3 what else you want to do, and have done. “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.”  Oh, for eyes to perceive. O for a heart to believe. O for humility to receive.

            The Apostle Paul, a forthright proclaimer of your grace became emotional in writing to the Corinthians about your generosity. In 2 Corinthians 9:5 he wrote, “Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift.” But he doesn't define it. This allows us to make a personal inventory from which to utter the same words. However a person understand it, that gift is always and ever linked in and with Jesus Christ and Calvary. There sin was dealt with and Eternal life offered. (Romans 6:23) Hallelujah!

Mary and Ray Hawkins

            The Psalmist’s words would sum up my heartfelt but inadequate response to your Gift and gifts. Please receive it I pray,...”How can I repay the Lord for all His goodness to me? I will lift up the cup of salvation and call upon the Name of the Lord. I will fulfil my vows to the Lord in the presence of all His people.” Psalm 116:12-14.

Final Word.

To receive is a pleasure. To give is an honour.

Ray Hawkins author 31 Day themed Devotionals.
http://rayhawkinsauthor.blogspot.com.au

Hijacked!

I finished up Affinity, first book of my YA Spirit Walker series, with a head swimming full of ideas for the next one. Knee-deep in plot cards and notebooks, I opened an email from my publisher with a special story call out. That's nice, I thought, and brushed it aside knowing my brain was taken up with my current mission. I have limited time and brain cells - 3 girls in the house will do that to you - there was no way I could even think of a different book at this stage.

And then I was hijacked.

It happened somewhere between the shower and putting the kettle on for a cup of tea. Out of nowhere; a title, back page blurb, protagonist and a bubbling excitement that I couldn't ignore. Um, excuse me? What about Spirit Walker 2? But there was Meg, fragile yet feisty, front and center in my mind. And.She.Wouldn't.Go.Away.

So I'm listening. Spirit Walker can wait and it will. 

Friends, I'd like to introduce you to a tiny glimpse of my hijacker:

One Step Forward, Two Steps Back

Fresh from a spectacular break up and faced with a looming big-O birthday, Meg throws her cautious nature aside and signs up for dance classes. Little does she know that Ballroom will stretch more than her muscles as she is forced to confront her greatest fear...

Right now, I feel like I'm adventuring way off the beaten path, hand-in-hand with my favorite co-author and I wouldn't swap it for anything.

How about you? Have you ever had a book push its way to the front of the queue? I'd love to hear your story.

DEVOTION: What Noah Found by Ray Hawkins

Read Genesis 6:1-22

Imagine being on board the ark. Tossed around by the cataclysmic weather outside; feeding the animals; cleaning their stalls for a year and maybe enduring sea-sickness--eight people living in a confined space and dealing with inevitable friction.

All of this after the high pressured work of building the ark, assembling the animals, warning the people and being emotionally drained. Noah found grace but not comfort. He knew security but not idleness. Sadness at the people’s unbelief and judgement would be mingled with gratitude to the Lord for His ark of refuge.

God’s call to Noah was challenging and often unpleasant. It was however worth the price!

Christians know they are saved by Grace. They have found peace with God and safety from Judgement. What hasn’t been promised is a smooth journey. Christ’s words to the original group, still rings true, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world” John 16:33.

The disciples of Jesus are witnesses, spokespersons and co-labourers in the Gospel. All have their gifts and abilities and are placed in various circumstances to be God’s sign-post, helping hand or messenger. His grace is tested in the ruggedness of obedience not the smoothness of the ride. The journey with Jesus will have its high and low experiences but His companionship and the destination makes it all worth while.

Ray Hawkins is retired after 30 years as a minister. 

He is author of three books of Biblical meditations;

for Children, Marriage, and the Cross. 

Check the website he shares with his wife, author Mary Hawkins.

In all things ... give thanks

The rest of Canada has had an exceptionally hot summer this year.  However, on Vancouver Island, where we pride ourselves on our lush gardens, the weather has been miserable.  Thus it is that, wherever two or three gardeners are gathered together in my neighbourhood, the talk inevitable turns to the disappointing yields from orchard and vegetable bed. The litany of complaint is loud and long. Wet spring, cold July, no bees, marauding deer, slugs, no sun. I complain with the best of them, often leading the chorus. Here it is, the end of summer and my tomatoes are still green.  The Fall Fair last weekend had only four ripe pumpkins.

In previous years, my plum tree has yielded bushels of fruit. This year, I've got a niggardly offering that won't full one ice cream bucket. I was ready to write off the garden as a complete failure, and then I found the blackberries.

The bushes are laden, the berries sweet and juicy and huge! Best of all they require little effort to grow and maintain.

I can't help considering the blackberry bushes along the roadsides in my part of the world as an example of God's grace. We label them "noxious weed." We cut them down, plough them under, trample them over. We strip them of fruit and hack at the vines, then turn our backs and ignore them. Yet, year after year, the blackberries shower the ungrateful with abundance, fruit fit for kings, there for the taking, no questions asked, no one excluded.


    Now, when I'm tempted to complain about the failures in my garden, I remember Paul's message to the Thessalonians, In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.

 
 
Come visit me at www.alicevaldal.com
 Read about my gardening, writing and musical adventures.

Pressing on

I have recently returned from a trip to our beautiful, Australian island state of Tasmania, home of another member of ICFW, Mary Hawkins. I had been invited to speak at a conference there, so took the opportunity to set up a few more speaking engagements and interviews while there and also to enjoy some sightseeing with my husband. Our time away was therefore a mixture of ‘work’ and play, both of which I found very enjoyable.

Now I have deliberately chosen to use inverted commas around the term ‘work’, because in one way, my speaking engagements, interviews and book-selling opportunities hardly seemed like work to me. I love speaking. I regard it a privilege to share something of God’s love and grace and forgiveness and understanding and peace and so many other things in this way. And I’m happy to be interviewed about my writing journey and my novels. I even enjoy the hours spent preparing my various talks. It is very different from writing my novels – and yes, at times I resent being pulled away from what my characters are about to do or say – but I still enjoy piecing a good talk together and hopefully hearing what God wants me to say.

Yet all this speaking, setting up engagements, getting to the various places and liaising with those involved can be draining too – particularly if one is already quite tired and also in pain. All through our trip and a few weeks prior as well, I suffered from severe sciatica in my right leg, making walking, standing for long periods and even driving quite uncomfortable. I was glad we had planned some rest days in between speaking engagements so I could try to relax completely. And God showed his great faithfulness in that I felt I was given strength just when I needed it to deliver my input and share what he had placed on my heart to share with passion and conviction. I got there in the end. People were apparently blessed and challenged – and I even managed to sell quite a few books in the process!

On returning home, however, I have found it so easy to slip into discouragement, as I catch up on various chores and deal with the many emails that have piled up. Was it all worth it, I wonder? Did the effort and expense involved outweigh the ministry that resulted from my speaking, not to mention the number of books sold?

But then I realise whose voice I am listening to. That discouraging voice certainly doesn’t belong to God, but rather to the enemy, who, as Scripture tells us, is a liar, an accuser, a deceiver and a destroyer. I should know by now to close my ears to that voice and instead to choose to believe the encouraging, comforting words God longs for me to hear. And as I do, I know God is assuring me I did my best, that yes, it was definitely worth it, even if I did not make any great monetary profit, and furthermore that people will be challenged and changed as they continue to read my books. And I am humbled and so grateful.

Yet I also realise that God is challenging me to press on, to continue to serve him in the unique way he has given me. Having ‘put my hand to the plough’, I am not to look back but to keep working and writing until God tells me to stop. And I am reminded of and encouraged by Paul’s words in Philippians 3:13b-14:

But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining forward to what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

May you also be encouraged in your own writing journey to continue to press on and run the race God has called you to run. Whatever the cost, it’s so worth it!

Jo-Anne Berthelsen grew up in Brisbane and holds an Arts degree from Queensland University. She has also studied Education and Theology and has worked as a high school teacher and editor, as well as in local church ministry in Sydney. Jo-Anne loves communicating through both the written and spoken word and currently has four published novels – ‘Heléna’, ‘All the Days of My Life’, ‘Laura’ and ‘Jenna’. She is married to a retired minister and has three grown-up children and two grandchildren. For more information or to contact Jo-Anne, please visit her website, http://www.jo-anneberthelsen.com/.