God's Ways and Ours

I love reading stories of God’s reality in our world. So this year, I hoped to submit at least one story for the Stories of Life competition. I believed I knew which story God wanted me to share. It was about moving home—a season when He’d taught me much about Himself, His love and His ways. He’d taught me then how to pray using the scriptures. He’d taught me how we can witness His power and His glory and I couldn’t wait to share it with the world.

For weeks on end, I worked hard on my story, refining it over and over again like an athlete in constant training before her winning race. An idea had been percolating in my brain on the next story I’d write, but God surprised me a week before the closing date of the competition with a huge dose of His love and I knew that that was what I had to write about. It didn’t take long to rustle up a 500 word story which I sent off as my second entry.

I was certain my first story would be chosen for the anthology. After all, I’d been writing for twelve years now and knew how to write a good story of faith. (Or did I?) Besides, God would want the world to know what He did for us back then. But … when the long list was announced, my eyebrows shot up and my puppy dog’s tail had to be tucked in! The story which I had persevered over for weeks on end hadn’t made it. Instead … the little tale written in a flash of inspiration—that had got in. Wow!

After the initial shock wore off, I could not stop smiling, because the truth bopped me on the head and I could finally laugh at myself. Of course! Silly little me!

• ·       I can hope for success but it is God’s will that will come to pass.
• ·       I could work hard but unless God blesses my work it is of no avail.
• ·       I might plan, but it’s always God’s purposes that will prevail.

Like the sun’s golden rays, Isaiah 55 shone light onto my path. “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” Isaiah 55:8-9.

My journey into becoming a Christian Writer had started after a series of failures in finding employment. Yes, failure was the springboard to my writing life, my dream life. That’s what God does. Failure in His vocabulary is often spelt SUCCESS! As soon as my first book was written, He found me a publisher—just like that. That was God! My second book on the other hand, took years to get published … I faced rejection after rejection from various publishers for eight long years! That was God too—He kept me humble and leaning on Him. Thank you God. Don’t you love it how He shapes us and grows us through life’s journey?

God has blessed me beyond measure as I’ve followed His heart in my writing. He has also helped me discover time and time again that in myself I have nothing to offer the world. I need the Holy Spirit’s help in all of my writing, because unless the Lord builds the house, we build in vain. Yes, God’s ways are rarely our ways; His thoughts are rarely our thoughts.

Where you are in your writing journey dear fellow-writer? Are you inspired and productive? If so I rejoice with you. Are you struggling with the delays and disappointments that have blocked your way? I know what that’s like. Don't forget that what you class as failure, might in His book have a bold title: “SUCCESS”. Being faithful to all He has called you to is what matters. In eternity, you will discover the fruit of your hard work, your journey, the relationships you have nurtured, your life. And you (and I) will be surprised—what we consider achievements here on earth may be just a small dot on the heavenly landscape while what we discard as failures may be what the Father delights in and brings glory and honour to His Name.

No, God’s ways are not our ways. And for that we can be thankful.

All that I have seen, teaches me that I can trust God for all that is yet to come.

I know your Writing journey must bring great joy to our Father’s Heart. 

Keep writing! 

Anusha’s been on many interesting detours in life, as a lab technician, a computer programmer, a full time Mum, a full time volunteer, a charity director, a full time job chaser, until one golden day (or was it a dark moonless night?) God tapped her on her shoulder and called her to write for Him. She has never recovered from the joy it brought her. She loves to see others enjoying life with Jesus and does her mite to hurry the process in her world through her writing and through her life. The goodness of God is her theme song through each season, as she dances in the rain with Jesus. 

Her first book Enjoying the Journey contains 75 little God stories that will bring you closer to your Creator. Her second book  Dancing in the Rain brings you hope and comfort for life’s soggy seasons. Her third book, Sharing the Journey is a sequel to Enjoying the Journey and will be launched on March 7th 2020.

Do stop by at her website Dancing in the Rain to say G’day!

Write a Story

I usually wave my beloved off to work each morning, perched on a large rock on the side of our steep driveway, then run indoors to have breakfast with a good book for company. Recently as my breakfast-time-reading I enjoyed “A Praying Life” by Paul E. Miller. The book taught me, fed my spirit and got me thinking. I usually receive dozens of prayer requests from family and friends. There are times though (I must confess) when I struggle to pray sufficiently for all of those needs. (Discipline, Anusha. Discipline!)

A tool which I’ve found helpful in intercession is my little prayer diary, one which I carry everywhere with me. On its leaves, I list prayer needs sequentially. When I reach the last page, I copy all the unanswered requests into a new prayer diary and repeat the process. The system has worked really well for over 25 years, but lately, my prayer life had become a tad jaded. Paul Miller blessed me with a fresh cocoon of an idea; one which made my heart thump with excitement. Paul uses prayer cards not lists, jotting down the name of a person or topic per card—unsaved friends, people in need, sick folks and the like. A brilliant notion.

I rummaged through my pile of notebooks and found the perfect little diary. I opened it to the first page and wrote my son’s name on it, listing his prayer needs and chose a Bible verse that was just right for him. Next I added family and friends’ names, allocating a few pages to each and including a relevant verse for every person or group. I used four pages to record my own needs, dreams and Bible verses, selecting another two pages for my writing journey.

My sagging prayer life bounced back with a freshness it had lacked for a long while. (Thank you Paul Miller!) I spoke life, hope, health, joy, freedom, purpose, salvation into many hearts and lives. It was interesting to note that the cover of my newest prayer diary had an unusual title. “Write a Story” it declared boldly. Perhaps by talking to God on behalf of others, I was re-writing their lives? What do you think? My night-time reading a few days later was ‘Praying Circles around your Children” by Mark Batterson. It was thrilling to discover that Mark Batterson had the same idea too. Surely God was speaking to me?

 “The perfect way to predict your future is to create it.” Abraham Lincoln

Psychologists ask us to envision the future we desire and to create it through visualisation. But that’s a new age concept isn’t it? How does visualisation work? I have no idea. But prayer is different. Prayer works because God is sovereign and cares for His world on a moment by moment basis. Prayer works through the power of the Holy Spirit as He guides us, the body of Christ, to partner with Him as He wills and carries out His purposes in our world. What an honour to be included in God's plans!

You and I will agree that most of our stories are crafted via our computers as we write with our Creator and for Him. But stop for a moment with me and dream a different kind of dream. Perhaps … just perhaps … another kind of story is being birthed, every time you and I pray? Those are the real life stories, being fashioned through intercession—stories whose characters are walking and leaping around the stage of life. Each of these novels might even reach their happy endings because of your prayers and mine. Isn’t that encouraging?

I love writing stories, don’t you?

Tell me about your stories, please, all of them.

I’m listening.

And don’t forget … God’s listening too!

Anusha Atukorala is a writer and speaker with music in her heart and a message to proclaim. The abundant love of a faithful God is her theme song. God’s call to writing in 2007 led Anusha on a Grand Adventure which continues to surprise and thrill her. Anusha loves to build the body of Christ and to encourage others through the written and spoken word. Her first book ‘Enjoying the Journey’ is comprised of 75 little God stories. 

She has twelve short stories published in Anthologies and lots more in the pipeline. Do drop in to say G’day at her website Dancing in the Rain. She’d love to meet you.

Keep on Writing

I was getting ready to leave for the Omega Writer’s Conference in October when I saw it - a call for submmissions for a Children’s Picture Book Writing Competition. They were looking for “creative, winsome charming picture books that help parents instill an open-hearted, transformational, lifelong Christian faith in their children”. I did like the sound of that. Better still, the first prize was $5000.00. Whew! Not an amount to be sneezed at. There were no entrance fees either. I knew I must give it a go when I returned from conference.

Would it herald my big writing moment?

A week later, I came back refreshed and revitalised after a fabulous time in Sydney, having caught up up with those of like minds, learning an abundance of writerly wisdom, being inspired by people and places and best of all, filled with God’s joy. Unfortunately, as it often occurs, a week of intense fibro pain and weariness followed my energetic week away, so it was only a few days before that all important deadline that I had sufficient energy to sit down to create my story.

My dear friend Melissa popped in on the Friday before and spotted our family's pet giraffe (yes, he’s alive …or so we like to think). She suggested I write a story about Raffy - what a brilliant idea! The day before the story had to be submitted, I sat at my computer, concentrating hard. It took hours to craft and refine my award winning picture book. The next day was a busy one. My body felt weak and weary but I persevered, working also on my author bio and the story’s synopsis. Finally, close to midnight and exhausted, I was ready to send in my three documents. Just before I pressed the submit button, the competition’s terms and conditions popped up.

It was then my dream was shattered - a crystal vase smashed into a million shards.

The very first clause had my mouth open, while my jaw dropped a few kilometres downwards. Apparently, the competition was open only to US residents. I could have cried. I’d read the competition details many times over—but for some reason this vital fact had not been publicised. I could hardly believe it. How foolish I'd been!

I wonder what your writing year has been like. Was it filled with instant success, millions of books sold, a plethora of fan mail, TV appearances, a bulging bank balance and a celebrity lifestyle? If you are like many of us Christian writers, you are presently plodding away on your current story, a few drops of hope glistening in your heart, but perhaps also a wee bit discouraged about those writing dreams yet to be fulfilled.

In a few weeks, the curtain will fall on 2016 and we will be left with our memories of the past year. Whatever it brought you in your writing sphere and whatever the future holds for you, let me ask you three questions:

1. Has God called you to write for Him?
2. Have you strived to walk with Him?
3. Have you sought to be obedient to His call?

If you answered ‘yes’ to all three questions, let me shake your hand. Let me celebrate with you. Success for us comes not from the world’s yardstick of accomplishment. It’s simply getting up each morning and doing all that God calls us to do. Persevering. Learning from failure. Not giving up. Perhaps like me you've made a few blunders? No matter - God can redeem them all. He's good at that! So permit any discouragement to fly out of your window like a captive pigeon set free. Congratulate yourself for all the writing you’ve done these past 12 months. Celebrate your conquests with a smile. And let your heart be quick to hear the sound of God’s ‘Well done’.

And now ... put on your writer’s shimmering cloak of joy.
And Keep On Writing.

“Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”
Philippians 3:13-14


Anusha Atukorala is a writer and speaker with music in her heart and a message to proclaim. The abundant love of a faithful God is her theme song. God’s call to writing in 2007 led Anusha on a Grand Adventure which continues to surprise and thrill her. Anusha loves to build the body of Christ and to encourage others through the written and spoken word. Her first book ‘Enjoying the Journey’ is comprised of 75 little God stories. She has twelve short stories published in Anthologies and plenty more books in the pipeline. Do drop in to say G’day at her website Dancing in the Rain. She’d love to meet you.

Easter - The Same Old Story? by Nola Passmore

When Monica Andermann asked a friend to church on Easter Sunday, her friend replied ‘No thanks … I’ve heard that story before.  I know how it ends’.  Do you ever feel like you’ve heard it all before?  It’s easy to become complacent about well-known Bible stories, especially when you’ve been around Christian circles for a long time.  If I’m in a church service and the minister announces that we’re going to look at The Prodigal Son or the Parable of the Sower, I groan inwardly.  ‘Not that one again.’  How sad is that though?  How sad to lose our wonder at the amazing things God has done on our behalf. 

At Easter we celebrate all that Christ did for us on the cross.  How phenomenal is it that God sent His Son to die for our sins so we could spend eternity with Him?  God’s word is just as ‘alive and active’ as it was 2000 years ago (Hebrews 4:12).  However, I think part of our challenge as Christian writers is to communicate Biblical truth in fresh ways.  How could we do that with the Easter story?

A few years ago, our minister invited the congregation to read a book of devotions by Walter Wangerin Jr. for the 40 days leading up to Easter.  I bought a copy of Reliving the Passion thinking that it would all be pretty familiar to me.  However, it was more than a set of devotions.  It was told with drama, dialogue, internal monologues and great emotion.  As I read each day’s entry, I was able to look into the thoughts of Peter and Mary Magdalene.  I was able to see and hear what was going on and it helped me to gain fresh insights.  Here’s a sample based on Mark 15:1 after Jesus has been delivered to Pilate:

Jesus, how do you feel?  What are you thinking?  You don’t talk.  Your mouth has been closed for such a long time now.  Last night, before the legal machinery caught hold of you and began to grind you in its wheels, you said your soul was sorrowful, even unto death—and then your eyes revealed the grief.  I saw it.  But now, in the dawn of your deathday, your face is expressionless.  I can read nothing in your eyes.  Jesus!  Jesus!  How do you feel right now?  What moods contend within you?  What worlds collide inside your soul?  O Jesus, are you hating?  Are you praying?  Are you screaming silently?  Are you thinking about me now? (p. 94)

Singer-songwriter Don Francisco also used first person in his classic song He’s Alive which is written from Peter’s perspective.  Through the lyrics, we see Peter move from doubt to hope to belief as he sees the empty tomb and later encounters the risen Lord face to face.  The song always gives me goose bumps.  To listen to it, click here.

I tried my hand at a ‘different’ kind of Easter poem by writing from the perspective of Barabbas, the criminal released at Passover in the place of Jesus.  There’s not a lot of information about Barabbas in the Bible, so I had to try to imagine how he would have felt.  I took the perspective that he may have thought they were leading him out to be crucified, but instead he found himself a free man.  To read it, click here.

  

As you contemplate what Jesus has done for us this Easter, try looking at it with fresh eyes and meditate on how amazing his sacrifice of love was both then and now.  If you were going to write a story, song, poem, script or devotion about Easter, how could you give it an original spin?  Or perhaps you’ve already written something along those lines.  I’d be interested in hearing your thoughts.

References

Andermann, M. A.  (2014).  Same old story.  In M. Nutter (Ed.), Penned from the heart (vol. 21, p. 57).  New Wilmington, PA: Son-Rise Publications.

Wangerin, W., Jr.  (1992).  Reliving the passion.  Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.

Nola Passmore is a freelance writer who has had more than 140 short pieces published, including devotions, true stories, magazine articles, academic papers, poetry and short fiction.  She loves sharing what God has done in her life and encouraging others to do the same.  She and her husband Tim have their own freelance writing and editing business called The Write Flourish.  You can find her weekly writing tips blog at their website: http://www.thewriteflourish.com.au