Glory Be To God

What do you do when you want something so, so bad, and it seems everyone else has it and is so happy- but you just tumble off the road and don’t reach that dream?

  One thing that was weighing heavy on me was Realm Writers. You’ve probably heard of it. It’s basically a writer’s conference for Christians, and this year, it takes place in Nevada. The best part, besides meeting awesome fellow writers (and teen writers)? Ted Dekker was a key speaker. I love Dekker. I was ecstatic to hear the news that he was speaking. Ecstatic. I was wishing and praying for about a year, just hoping, somehow, we’d get the chance to go. So I could be surrounded with epic fellow teens who love writing and are so hungry to learn.

   But, July rolled around, and taking a trip to Nevada is not happening. We just can’t do it. I was super duper bummed. Really bummed. Why? Because I thought I’d actually have a place where I sort of belonged.

  The truth is, I belong here. Here is right now, in the very place I am. And you belong exactly where you are, too.

As a writer, would I love to go to a writer’s conference? Yes. But if it is not in God’s timing, then it’s not gonna happen, and I don’t want it to. It’s OK to be upset when things don’t work out how we want them. But giving up and staying upset isn’t OK. So, what do we do?

   We realize that we are still writers. Isn’t that amazing? I mean, that’s who God made us to be. He never said; “You gotta go meet all these writer kids, and meet the authors, and go to every conference, in order to be a writer.” Our worth does not come from fame, success, or the spotlight.

  Our worth comes from Yeshua. And God gave us the gift of words, folks! We can create. Destroy. Build. Encourage. Inspire. Make others laugh. Make others cry. Touch people. How can we, as people, do that? With just 26 letters?

  We do that through the LORD. It’s God who guides our hands, our words, our voices, and it is the Lord who touches others through our writings. And we don’t have to go to the writing conventions to make an impact in this world. God will bring people into our lives He wants us to meet, and we don’t always have to go out and find them. God has a Plan. That’s pretty awesome.

    We, as writers, as artists, as musicians, as PEOPLE– have the power to help others, and hurt others. Being a writer is more than wishing to be published, to have writer friends or fans and all- being a writer is giving God the glory at all times. Being a writer is pushing on when you’re tired, and sad, and hurt, and angry; you don’t give up. You take the pain and you use it for good. This is for all people, for everyone. That’s life. It isn’t about fame and success. God doesn’t care about that. God cares about your heart. God cares about if you have total faith and trust in Him, and whether you give it your all.

    God has a plan. For you. For me. For each of us. There will be bumps in the roads, and twists and turns that we didn’t expect, and we’re gonna fall right off our scooter into a ditch. That’s cool. Get up. Get back on that scratched up scooter and keep on going. Ride for that sunset that’s waiting for you. Keep going until you see the morning sun.

  God is with us. God has given us gifts. We have the choice to use them, for the Lord’s glory and praise. Nothing can stand in our way, because Jesus is King.

  God bless.

-Ang