This Writing Journey

By Lori Hatcher @LoriHatcher2
This writing journey. This vexing, exhilarating, maddening, fulfilling writing journey that keeps us awake at night, plunges us into the depths of despair, and launches us to places we never dreamed we’d go, oh the glory. And the agony. And the joy.It befuddles and besots, tortures and teases. When it beckons us with winsome eyes, we cuddle it like a puppy. But when that same puppy leaves a puddle on our carpet, we rue the day we ever invited it into our lives.
We swear we’ll never again open our computers—until the fuzzy fur ball tugs on the pant leg of our mind, shakes it a few times, and invites us to play. Somehow, despite our resolve, it charms us into rolling around on the floor with it. Again and again.
Some days we nurse puncture wounds of disappointment and discouragement and wonder why we adopted the puppy in the first place. We’d been warned it could bite us. But we watched others who enjoyed its company, allowed it to enrich their families, and used it as a way to connect with others, and we drew near. Fearful yet hopeful. Fascinated yet cautious.
When it’s good, it is very, very good, and when it’s bad, it’s rotten. Rejection letters, edits, and critiques, like middle of the night feedings and bathroom runs weary us and erode our writing self-esteem. Kind comments, emails of thanks, and requests to reprint, like grateful licks and wagging tails, shore up our resolve. And when the royalty check appears in the mailbox, the house explodes with tongue-lolling yips of joy, a tribute to the years of hard work and dedication.
We remember God’s challenge: “He who has been given a trust must prove faithful (1 Corinthians 4:2) and press on.
Whether you’re bottle feeding a puppy writing life, obedience training a half-grown dog, or socializing a pet that everyone loves, be not weary in doing good, for you will reap a harvest if you don’t give up (Galatians 6:9).
The Lord who created puppies and writers has promised. 
TWEETABLEThoughts on This Writing Journey from @LoriHatcher2 on @EdieMelson (Click to Tweet)
Lori Hatcher is the editor of  Reach Out, Columbia magazine and the author of several devotional books.  Hungry for God … Starving for Time, Five-Minute Devotions for Busy Women won the 2016 Christian Small Publisher Book of the Year award. Her most recent book, Refresh Your Faith – Uncommon Devotions from Every Book of the Bible is due out in the spring of 2020.A blogger, writing instructor, and inspirational speaker, her goal is to help women connect with God in the craziness of life. You’ll find her pondering the marvelous and the mundane on her blog,  Hungry for God. . . Starving for Time . Connect with her on Facebook, Twitter(@LoriHatcher2), or Pinterest(Hungry for God).