A couple of days ago, I went for a walk in my neighborhood. I thought I was moving along pretty well, especially considering the heat. And the hills. And did I mention I'm not getting any younger...but I digress. Suddenly I was passed by a young woman juggling the leashes of several dogs. Although they weren't quite as different in size as the ones in the above picture (posted on Flickr by jezarnold), they varied from a little dachshund with short legs (sort of like mine) to a Lab.
All of them appeared happy and full of life. Even though the dog-walker was chugging along at a pretty good pace, all the dogs were keeping up. But it struck me how much harder it must be for the dachshund. To cover the same amount of ground, that little dog had to make so many more steps. I thought, if they keep going that way, eventually the dachshund's going to wear out. The Labs will be loping along, hardly breathing hard, and the little dog will just keel over.
I feel just like that dachshund so many times, especially when it comes to writing. I feel like a tiny little thing, running to keep up with the Labs. Most of the time, I don't succeed. I'm worn out and ready to keel over.
You know who the Labs are, right? The folks who make it seem so effortless. The books seem to flow from them every few months, and they publish their very first novel, and they win awards, etc., etc. And then there's me--and maybe you, too. We struggle to find time to write. Struggle to find the energy to write in the face of those rejection letters. Struggle to find the strength to keep running with the Labs.
But you know what? God made dachshunds and Labs, Chihuahuas and Great Danes. He made John Grisham and he made me.
I realized as I watched those dogs bound past me that their walker knows her dogs. She'll know when that little one is getting tired and needs to slow down. Who knows? Maybe she even picked him up and carried him.
God knows how he made me. And he knows when I need to rest. When I need to be carried. He's always done it so far.
Psalm 37:23-24 (New Living Translation):
"The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives. Though they stumble, they will never fall, for the Lord holds them by the hand. "
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Aw, that's sweet, Robin. You sure do come up with a lot of great comparisons and analogies. I'll bet you have a lot of great ones in your books, too. :-)
ReplyDeleteJust remember, Stephen King had to write 4 or 5 books before he finally wrote one that was accepted. And you should go to Harvest House's website and read the interview with George Bryan Polivka, author of The Legend of the Firefish, which is sooo good. He wrote ELEVEN, yes eleven books, before he was finally published.
Robin,
ReplyDeleteHave you been visiting the Interpreter's house from Pilgrim's Progress? You come up with such great object lessons from everyday life. Thanks for the encouraging words, once again!
Thanks for that, Robin. So encouraging and just what I needed today.
ReplyDeleteWhat a nice thought, and so encouraging. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteI know how the dog walker was feeling - last weekend I "babysat" for a friend who has two labradoodles (both about 60 pounds). I went on a walk with those two plus my two (Cavalier King Charles Spaniels) by myself and felt very lopsided.
ReplyDeleteBut you know who tired out first? The doodles.
Why?
My guys are used to going at least 1.5 miles (usually 2 or more), even in the heat. They are prepared for it because of the training we've done.
My take-away? Even if you're a small fry, you might have more endurance than the big boys. It's the training and preparation that counts. :)
Have a great one!
Lacy, What an astute comment! I believe you're right. I've heard published authors who had immediate success who seem to fold the first time they face criticism or lower sales.
ReplyDeleteSo maybe all this perseverance training will pay off!
It's also good to remember that each of us in God's family is a unique creation- each with our own strengths and weaknesses. That's something I've been dealing with lately, having to be around a lot of people at school who do not understand Christianity, who think it takes away all the wonder, excitement, and uniqueness of life. While it's true that each of us must surrender to Christ, and hopefully He will grow more in us and we will grow less, we are still that unique creation that God made, and as we turn our lives over to God more fully, we truly realize who we are supposed to be. The Christian life is filled with wonder, laughter, and sometimes almost too much excitement- without all the cruelty and evil associated with the excitement of the world.
ReplyDeleteGod also showed me that even in His own Person, there is diversity in unity- I think I heard Ravi Zacharius descibe the Trinity that way. Thank God for showing me that!
The question then becomes, why is it so important for us to hang onto that individuality, and is it wrong to try to cling to that? Does that go against what God says about dying to ourselves? I'm not sure. Just some thoughts I was having lately. Probably no one will read this because I'm so late posting it.