I was two seconds away from hitting delete and completely doing away with my blog this week. Then, my dear husband sent me this article written by Michael Hyatt, CEO of Thomas Nelson Publishing. I read it. It was timely. I needed a good reminder that, sometimes, I have to go back to the reason and purpose I started blogging and forget all the other stuff. I decided to keep the blog.
I started working on my “Friday’s Free Advice” today, got five hundred words into it, and stopped. I called my mom, had a long talk about what’s been bumming me out recently, read what I had written out loud to her, and then I deleted the entire draft. “Too self-deprecating,” was her observation. She went on to encourage me that I can’t forget the purpose for which I started my blog and allow these small seasons to develop the gifts and passions that God has given to me.
My mom was right.
I was getting a little side-tracked by a negative response I received from someone I don’t even know a few weeks ago. It was passive-aggressive in nature and really hurt. (This just goes to show that I haven’t quite developed a tough skin yet, which I’m sure takes time.) Instead of writing from a position of conviction, I was beginning to second-guess every word I typed. Shame.
So, today I am starting over. Today is a brand new day…with no mistakes in it yet. Today I am going to dish out the best advice I can muster up. Today I am going to give you “Amy” in all her…um…glory? (Glory is probably stretching it a bit, but I’ll just go with it for now.)
Today’s Friday’s Free Advice: Listen to mom. She’s usually right. (And Michael Hyatt. He’s got good things to say, too.)
If you are feeling discouraged or frustrated about something near and dear to your heart - parenting, marriage, ministry, career, writing, blogging…whatever it may be – go back to the beginning. Search your heart and remember why you started out on this journey in the first place. Rediscover the dream. Realize that, while you may not be where you want to be right now, you are closer today than you were yesterday. We all have so far to go, and it’s easy to get discouraged or side tracked, but the hope we have is that God isn’t finished with us yet. There’s more to your story…and this is only the beginning.
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Dear Amy – You know I’ve been here. Several times. I love the article (yeah, Joel!)… and your mom! I think it is such a brave thing to blog at all. It challenges my walk with the Lord… so often. I think God brings us to a point where we realize that we will write what He wants us to write… because He said so. I blog out of obedience to Him.
Blog or not. Be true to who you are.
I love you!