Annette Batterink's Blog, page 8

God, the Designer

[image error]The threads of the tapestry of my life start long before I was born and go on into eternity.  Through brilliant colour and dark hues, knots and zigzag lines, God is creating a picture that only He could design.  In the Weaver’s design, there are no mistakes. There are threads that remind me that God was preparing me for the tough times before they even happened; threads filled with pain that still bring tears to my eyes; threads that bring back memories that make me smile and bring joy to my day.  Parts of the tapestry seem complete and parts are still being woven into surprising patterns.  The Weaver loves me and I trust Him more and more.

Why I wrote a book

My father wrote an autobiography about the first seventy years of his life.  It was a wonderful gift to his children and grandchildren. I thought about writing my life story “someday” for a long time.  More than two years before the day, I noticed a 60th Birthday card.  The message was “In 60 years you can touch a lot of lives, you can share a lot of wisdom and you can bring a lot of joy — if you’re someone as special as you that is.” I knew then that it was time to start writing my story.  I would use my 60th birthday as the ending point.

For most of my life, I  saved articles, report cards, greeting cards etc. They filled two medium sized storage crates. That first summer, I started my going though the items I had saved.  It was fun and interesting until I got to the journals I had written during the nine years from the end of my marriage onward.  I decided that I would start by writing the story of those years.  I realized that  part of me had become “stuck” in the past, waiting for the day when I would start writing.

Initially, I thought that my story would be for family like Dad’s had been — and maybe some friends, too.  But as I was writing, I realized that others might benefit from reading parts of my story, too. I am a single-again mother of two adult children, a nurse and a recovering codependent.  Many people’s lives have been affected directly or indirectly by one or more of those situations. My challenge was to include enough stories that I wanted to share with my family and still not bore others who might read my story.  I hope I’ve accomplished some of that.

As I was writing, God helped me see wonders in the threads from my past that could only be by His design. He truly does know the end from the beginning. These are my experiences and I’ve related them honestly to the best of my ability.  For various reasons, I’ve made attempts to protect the identity of some people.

“My Tapestry – Experiencing the Love of the Designer” is just at the beginning of the publishing process.  Stay tuned for updates.

(added Feb. 27, 2017 — My book was published on Feb. 23, 2017. Hopefully it will be available for those interested in reading it soon)

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