Life is so busy for those folks right now, a short hiatus suits them too. I've taken a short hiatus from writing the non-fictional Children's Camps International Book. I'm writing my third fictional novel at the moment. And I look at this favorite verse in Psalms and I ask myself like I do every day- Lord, am I doing what you want me to do with the labor of my hands? What He has taught me through my tumultuous journeys in order to help others trust in Him.īut alas, we live in a world where food must be put on the table, the roof over our heads must be financed. I want them to understand something of what I glean from the Word of God. In my work, the desire is to help others 'see' God within the words and scenes I type on the page. As his 'artsy' mother I understand his need to pursue his music, with the overwhelming desire to honor the Lord, and assist others in their worship of God. It's this that gives them the urge to give and give and give to this labor. It's the art that pulls on their hearts-the desire to use that art to glorify God.

Yet, with all artists, the desire for wealth and fame is meaningless. And the pressure to market yourself and your book takes you away from the labor to produce another. When one is published, the author is only as good as her last book. It's also common that once an author is published, the money they make is a pittance. In talking to other Christian authors, this is the norm. It's been about 8 years of seriously pursuing a ministry/career in writing, with a great many sacrifices along the way. I'm willing to put in the long, long hours, the months, the years to hone my craft.

Or, like today, it makes me stop and think and pray-is the work that I sit at with my laptop for 8 to 10 hours a day really His will? Or am I 'building a house' He does not want?Īnyone who reads my blog knows I love to write. Either it encourages me to be confident that the work I'm involved in is His will. This verse always speaks powerfully to me when I read it. This psalm goes on a little further to say, It is vain for you to rise up early, to retire late, to eat the bread of painful labors: For He gives to his beloved even in his sleep. In Psalm 127 it says, Unless the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain who build it.

Surrender the Heart by MaryLu Tyndall