None of us seems to have enough of this precious commodity. The Lord tells us to make the most of the time we have because of the very times we live in. As authors we have the great privilege having our words read by people we will probably never meet, so do we take enough time to make our stories count?
Anyone can dash off a story - it's done all the time. Yet to allow your reader to personally identify with our main character's struggles and triumphs means digging into our own soul. Even to baring things we'd hesitate to tell our best friend. Oh yes, creating genuine, true-to-life characters takes a lot of time. And it's time invested well.
Reading through some of our authors' posts gives a glimpse into the amount of time and effort involved in crafting a story with a great plot and characters with failings who finally win the battles they face outwardly and within themselves. To be able to trace how they deal with God's Holy Spirit working in their lives without a heavy hand takes loving finesse. Jesus, the master storyteller, shares His message beautifully without labouring the point. Likewise if we allow our readers to simply absorb our message it will stay with them for a long time.
The following is from the vantage point of someone who just ran out of TIME. Set to music on CD, if you'd like to be placed in a draw add your email (with spaces) to your comment.
Life was always full and busy so I never had the time
To ever get to know Him very much at all,
So I told Him that I would someday, I really meant it then,
Still I was occupied and never heard Him call.
When His final call is given and the universe stands still,
When the sands of time run out and clocks won't chime,
When silence reigns and earth is hushed to hear the Father's will,
Eternity begins ... farewell the end of time.
So I asked myself the question when my time came to an end
Why I didn't even spare the Lord a glance
For I've found he is my judge and yet He could have been my friend,
Now time has gone and I've forever lost my chance.
I don't have time ... I don't have time.
That's how it was and how it ever more will be.
There'll be no time ... there'll be no time,
There'll be no time left in Eternity.
Rita Stella Galieh has two Australian Historical Romances published.
Fire in the Rock & Signed Sealed Delivered, Book I of the Watermark Women Trilogy
See her website at www.ritastellagalieh.com
