Meeting God in Every Plot Twist

Photo by SIphotography from Deposit Photos

When I was a relatively new Christian, one of my favourite books was Meeting God at Every Turn, by Catherine Marshall. This book is the author’s very personal account of how God met her at every major turning point in her life. Every time something was confusing, troubling, heart-wrenching, or scary, God met Catherine with his incredible grace—even when her husband, renowned preacher, Rev Peter Marshall, died. The book had a profound effect on me at the time and encouraged me to trust God as I followed him in life and ministry.

 

But… It turns out I’m not great at trusting. I forget sometimes… God has always been there for me but nearly all the big mistakes I’ve made in my life come from my failure to trust him. Is that the case with you?

 

As writers, we love creating ‘plot twists’ in our stories, but we don’t like the plot twists life throws at us. When hard, horrible, or crazy stuff happens, do we believe God will help and strengthen us, or do we get in a flap like the hens in the Chicken Run film? 

via GIPHY

I confess I’m often like those hens. I tell myself not to panic, then I panic. But I’d like to share something that happened last year—something that reminds me of God’s faithfulness and my own struggle to trust.

 

I’d been unemployed for a while and our finances were low. I was plodding along working on my writing and doing a little editing. I was trying to polish and publish my YA book, Running Scared, work on my website, and write the first book of a series (new genre). But I kept on thinking I had to do more to earn a living! 

 

I tried. I made enquiries about work, but no doors opened. I couldn’t do veterinary work because of my bad back. My home business wasn’t earning much. My foray into NDIS support (and art teaching) had ended when my client’s funding was slashed. 

 

And our funds were bottoming out.

 

A wise response to this would have been to trust God and rest in him. It would have been to focus on writing and thank him for every spare moment he’d given me to focus on my creative call. I could have trusted he had everything under control, rather than letting worry pull me away from this call.

 

I still wrote and was creative, but I would have been a lot more productive if I had just TRUSTED.

 

Because something happened.

 

Late November last year God spoke in that still small voice while I was praying. He said, ‘Why are you praying for provision when my word says I will give that to you. Pray instead that you can write your book.’

 

I thought it was a strange thing for God to say, until three weeks later, he gave me a job. For some reason—and for some time—I’d been thinking a lot about copywriting. While I love writing fiction, I also love how words—in short form—have power to encourage and compel. I took a short copywriting course which helped me write the copy for my website, and I began exploring what it would mean to work in this area.

 

Then, suddenly, I had a copywriting job. Not just any copywriting job, but one at marketing  company with a Christian ethos. One that used both my writing skills and my background ministry training and experience. I was thrown in the deep end while everyone else had their Christmas holidays but somehow, I didn’t drown. Probably because I have the loveliest line-manager (you know who you are 😊).

 

It was hugely tough. I’d been used to working to my own rhythm but now I had to work to other people’s timetable in a shared corporate space. It was overwhelming and my body wasn’t used to me doing that level of work. It still rebels some days. But I’ve gradually learned to swim. 

 

Thing is, I’ve found it really, really, really hard to do any of my own writing. 

 

Guess what I’m praying for 😁.

Feel free to pray too, if you like...

 

Through his word to me last November, the Lord showed me he still values my fiction writing. It’s worth fighting for. It’s worth me persevering even if it takes me all year to finish a first draft. I’m believing this.

 

I look back at the time and space I had to write last year, and I groan at the energy I gave to worry. 

 

There have been more plot twists since then—some affecting the day-to-day of life, health and work—others potentially affecting the bigger picture. The truth is, there will always be plot twists, but the author and perfecter of our faith says he will work all things to our good. Even the hard and crappy stuff.

 

The best encouragement I can bring today is to say if you are facing any plot twists in your life, delve deep into what God says in his word about these things, and believe it. 

Don't believe your own fears or the fears of other people. Write out the relevant verses and trust they are true. Bad stuff can happen, challenges can occur, health can fail, but Jesus is faithful, and he doesn’t give up on us. 

 

He doesn’t give up on our writing, either. He’s really into creating things 😃.

Image by beate bachmann from Pixabay 

Don’t waste energy on worry. God’s word is true. Worry doesn’t accomplish anything. Instead, give everything to him and do what you can. 

 

Trust him and let him surprise you!

 

And when he does come through for you, please tell us all about it so we can be encouraged too.

 

Has God ever met you during a plot twist in your life? What did he do? Let us know in the comments 😊.

 

 

Bible verses to ponder:

Matthew 6:25-34

2 Timothy 2:13

Proverbs 3:5-6

Hebrews 12:2(a)

Deuteronomy 31:8

Romans 8:28-32

Matthew 28:20(b)

Psalm 23

Isaiah 55

Susan J Bruce is an author, artist and animal addict who writes mystery and suspense books—with heart. Susan is a former veterinarian and animals often run, jump, fly or crawl through her tales. Her writing group once challenged her to write a story without mentioning any animals—she failed! Susan lives in sunny South Australia with her husband, Marc, and their furred and feathered family. This currently includes a fat tortoiseshell cat, a rescue cockatiel, and an irrepressible ShiChi (Shih Tzu x Chihuahua) who thinks her mission in life is to stop Susan writing.

Running Scared is Susan’s first novel and was awarded the 2018 Caleb Prize for an unpublished manuscript.
Visit Susan at www.susanjbruce.com.

 

 

 

 

 

Trust and Obey

Saturday morning. We’d just moved into our new home and it was great having extra space to settle into. My husband and I agreed that our new home had lashings of magic in it. Cosy nooks and corners called out to us; picturesque walking areas outdoors greeted us with a warm welcome. I made my beloved his special Saturday brunch which he usually enjoys with a movie. Leaving him to it, I was about to take my own breakfast to our dining area, when I felt a nudge from the Holy Spirit to go out to our backyard instead. “Yes, Lord”, I whispered as I settled myself in a chair outdoors, sipping of a cool fresh autumn day.

I was soon lost in a good book as I tucked into my own breakfast of rice, scrambled egg and spicy sambol. The author mentioned the importance of getting up early to spend time with God. Hmm…. I'd always been a night owl, so waking up early was not an easy accomplishment for the likes of me. In our former home, fiery sunsets had tingled my senses each evening. But here in our new home it was different. A bold sunrise would flash its stunning smile at me every morning through my kitchen window. So perhaps it did make sense to get up to greet the dawn? Was I up to it? It was then I heard the sound. “Pitter patter Pitter patter” yelled the raindrops as they splashed joyfully onto our patio roof. Oh no! I had hung my washed clothes on the line. My husband looked up from his movie as I dashed past him in a hurry to get my clothes.

“It’s raining”. I rushed through our family room and towards the laundry.

“Already?” Shan followed me and joined me in our yard, helping me bring the clothes in, bless him. If I hadn’t sat out in the garden, I’d not have heard the rain on the patio roof because my ears had ear buds stuffed into them with praise music on at full volume. My almost dry clothes could have been soaked. What a good thing I’d listened to God’s nudge that morning to sit outdoors!

“Trust and Obey”. A simple way to live—the only way really. Several years ago, I decided it was time I wrote a novel. I had published one non-fiction book and ten short stories in anthologies. Two manuscripts (one of which was a children’s fiction book), had made it to being finalists in two writing competitions. I was on a roll. I decided it was time delve into writing fiction. I got busy with a host of great ideas. What fun it was to figure out who my characters were! What joy it was to plot and dream! I found the perfect title and I created a believable story-line. I even found pictures on the Internet of what my characters looked like, pasting them in a file to delve into as I wrote. I was excited. I was ready.

The day had arrived! I made myself a cuppa and sat down at my computer. I felt my heart was beating a little faster than usual. Today was the day—the day the magic happened.  I poised my hands over the keyboard, and … and ….. and ….! What happened? When I tried to flesh out my story, nothing happened. No words. No words? No words. Writer’s block? I never have writer’s block! How could this be? I was sure I had it all figured out. I’d enjoyed so many fiction books for over five decades, that I was sure the words would flow out of me like a gurgling brook.

But each subsequent attempt at writing my special work of fiction did not bear fruit. I could not keep going. Gradually, the realisation dawned on me that writing a novel was my idea, not God’s. Oh? I had been driving along this road I had imagined God wanted me on. I now had to reverse and move towards a new pathway, because at last I had got it. And so, my tail tucked between my legs, I began to travel towards my first love, my calling. Non-fiction. Most of my life, I’d read mainly fiction. I'd tried my hand at writing a few children's books when I was a child. But in the previous 10 or 15 years, something had changed. Every time I browsed books at the library, I had found myself choosing a large number of non-fiction books. I had guzzled them down like a hungry puppy wolfing down a chocolate cake he’d found on the kitchen table. 

God wanted me to continue to write non-fiction. I knew that now. I’d taken a wrong turn, following my own desires. As understanding flooded my spirit, I slid the vehicle of my writing journey back into God’s highway—exactly where I needed to be. Hooray! I was back on track. I zoomed off into the sunset, happy as Larry.

Trust and Obey. That’s what it boils down to. God may still lead me to write a fiction book or two eventually and I hope He will. But for now, let me do what He calls me to, not what I think is best. Trust and Obey. How easy it is to make my own plans and to ask God to bless them or to mistake my plans for His. 

"Trust and Obey", God often reminds my wayward heart. Obedience is after all, what He calls me to in every sphere of my walk with Him.

What are your writing plans this year? Have you heard our Father's whispers? How has He led you? I'd love to hear all about it.

Have you learnt what it means to trust and obey?

I’m still learning. Come join me.

May the rest of 2019 see the fulfillment of your writing dreams as you follow God’s heart. Happy Writing and may God richly bless you.

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. Please stop by at her website Dancing in the Rain to say G’day. Her first book Enjoying the Journey contains 75 little God stories that will bring you closer to your Creator. 

Her 2^nd book ‘Dancing in the Rain was released in March 2018 and brings you hope and comfort for life’s soggy seasons.

Mortals make elaborate plans,but God has the last word. Humans are satisfied with whatever looks good; God probes for what is good. Put God in charge of your work, then what you’ve planned will take place. Proverbs 16:1-3 (MSG)

God gave me two words for my writing journey, and they weren’t what I wanted to hear

I had it all planned.

I’ve always been a writer. After I spent my school years writing short stories and poetry, I moved into journalism and corporate communication. Words have put food on my table since I was nineteen.

Fiction writing was always something I was going to do … one day. All these ideas for novels came to me, which I politely filed away for that day in the future when all the financial ducks were lined up. That would allow me to comfortably approach the task of writing without the expectation of getting paid. When I had enough money or enough clients behind me so I could safely take the plunge into what is a vocation not flushed with cash, I would take them out of my folder, and write fiction. (I currently have 17 storyboards sitting there waiting to be fleshed out into living breathing stories).

It was a hobby. Or so I thought.

Then God challenged me.  He reminded me that His gift of notes with story ideas and novels on them wasn’t just it. He hadn’t just given me stories to tell, He had also given me the ability to tell it and He would provide the room in which to tell it.

He took my writing dream, flipped it upside down and then stood back and said two words to me.

I would have loved to have heard: “Publishing House.” Now that I could live with.

That would form the basis of an amazing testimony. I started with a dream and led me to the outcomes of being on the shelves. Just inspiring.

But no.

I wanted to hear: “Great Story.” Now that would be the highest endorsement of my writing. Proof that I wasn’t living in my own little delusional bubble where my work-in-progress was spun gold simply because I was the only one judging it. That would be terrific to hear.

But no.

A part of me wanted those two words to be “Best Seller”. Wouldn’t that be an amazing achievement? Now that would be a testimony – nobody to best seller under God’s direction. Classic rags to riches story.

But no.

The two words I heard were these. “Trust Me.”

“Trust Me” are two words no control freak wants to hear.  I’ve learned over my time on this planet that “Trust Me” is a phrase that actually increases my blood pressure, it doesn’t reduce it.

So it took me a while, but eventually I trusted Him in that. I started to write and invested more of my time in this calling. And my concerns about who was going to pay the bills have drifted off (although at times they do come storming back). God’s provision of work while I’ve been writing – and I’ve done two manuscripts now – has been incredible. Clients have come looking for me, some who I haven’t worked with in years, but the flow has always been there. 

There is always enough.

Still, as someone who prefers to control his world, this was very unsettling, but I’m glad I did.

Next month my debut novel comes out. On March 5, The Baggage Handler will hit the shelves courtesy of HarperCollins Christian Publishing in the States. And I’m writing The Camera Never Lies ready for a November 2019 release.

{Just as an aside, if you'd like to win some Baggage Handler tags for your suitcase, head over to my web site.}

None of that would have happened if I had waited for that mythical day in the future of having enough. Instead, it took a lesson in trusting God, whereby I learned – eventually – that the issue wasn’t having enough, it was in trusting God to be enough.

And those two words stick with me. It’s frantic juggling books (something you may know all too well) but I’m trusting in that process.

I’m glad I heard those two words. They were the right ones.

Based in South Australia, David Rawlings is a sports-mad father-of-three with his own copywriting business who reads everything within an arm’s reach.  He has published in the non-fiction arena and is now focused on writing contemporary Christian stories for those who want to dive deeper into life. 

His debut novel - The Baggage Handler - comes out on March 5 through HarperCollins Christian Publishing. His second novel - The Camera Never Lies - will arrive on shelves in November 2019. 

He is currently represented by The Steve Laube Agency.

‘I was lookin' for love in all the wrong places
Lookin' for love in too many faces
Searchin' their eyes
Lookin' for traces of what I'm dreaming of…’

Image courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net/David Castillo Dominici

That was me for far too many years; searching for a soulmate, ‘needing’ a fulfilling relationship, hoping for domestic bliss. Yet the harder I looked the further the prize receded into the distance.

It’s a basic human need, this need for love and belonging, and we reach a point in our lives where our spiritual and emotional growth can become stymied if we fail to satisfy that persistent yearning. We become ‘stuck’, unable to move on with other important tasks and milestones in life. Most of us settle down and marry in our twenties or thirties and muddle on with varying degrees of conflict and stress, peppered with romantic highlights and for those who get lucky, some hard-won joy and contentment.

Others of us turn to our careers or what we perceive to be our passion to fill that nagging ache within our hearts and souls. Still others care for parents and relatives, and some of us are besotted with our four-footed furry friends. Every path taken is valid and significant, and every twist and turn can be molded into a valuable lesson. For me personally, ‘real’ love remained elusive and I settled into my 56^th year determined to find ways to live a meaningful life without a partner by my side. In fact, God sort of arranged it for me.

It’s not that I’d forgotten about God over the years or even ignored Him overmuch. I’ve been a believer for a long time now and constant communication between El Shaddai and this somewhat wayward daughter of His has been the norm. Yet, I still made some wrong assumptions that drove a wedge between us. I was still trying to fill the God-shaped hole, which exists inside all humanity, with human love.

But God pursued me relentlessly.

A fiancé (not the first) exited stage right (my front door) in a flurry of doubt and confusion, citing unfinished business and pressure from his adult children. It’s a long and somewhat wretched story that I’ll leave entirely to your imagination. (Cue in the musical score from Les Misérables.)

This time, the separation was so traumatic, following close after my mother’s death, that I decided to go it alone for the rest of my days. Well, not quite alone…for God had finally got my full attention. I was done with human relationships (family and friends excepted). Absolutely done, I tell you.

I’d voiced similar sentiments in the past but this was the first time I knew, in my heart of hearts, that I truly meant it. I finally handed the reigns entirely over to my Creator and King, and the fear began to dissipate. Grief remained for a time but not intolerably so. Over the following months, as I read more and more scripture, searching each page with new impassioned eyes, a mantle of peace descended. My shoulders eased. The panic attacks began to ebb away.

As I steeped myself further and further in Christian literature and reached out to my priceless, loving Christian friends, I began to really know my God.

And you know what? I liked Him a lot! In fact, it wasn’t long before I was pretty sure I was in love! And the revelation that left me the most ‘gobsmacked’ is that I knew I’d finally found the one true love; the only one who could completely cherish every inch of my being; the only one strong enough, wise enough and gentle enough to give my still-girlish heart the depth of love and security I’d craved all my life.

But God didn’t stop at sweeping me off my feet. In very short order He set about building our very first home. It was a dream I thought I’d never achieve, and truth be known, no one else believed I’d achieve it either. Financial advisers insisted that, at my age and having only a disability support payment as income, I had no chance of breaking out of that iron-maiden commonly called the rental trap. Real Estate agents shook their heads and showed me through shoddy little hovels they assured me were within my price range. It was disturbing to see the combination of pity and desperation in their eyes as I said no, time and again. God had better in store for me. I was certain of that much.

He knew and understood my special needs and He also knew the desires of my heart, as, of course, He still does. This was one guy I was going to trust to come through for me. We were a team now and I had to learn to work with Him, not under my own steam for a change. I listened carefully, and I stepped out in faith, asking Him to stay my hand if I misread His cues.

And so it was that I came to find a block of land in one of the most beautiful parts of the country; a bank to give me the very small mortgage I needed to secure it, and a builder to give me a fixed-price contract beyond all the odds, which just happened to fit my tiny budget. How those funds came to be in my bank account in the first place constitutes a whole parallel narrative to this story, but I’ll spare you those seemingly mundane details for now. In truth each step of the process was a miracle.

During this honeymoon period of ours, God flooded me with His miracles. It was a tsunami of blessing and abundance. Along the way, there were some headaches and stresses, but that’s to be expected when you build a house.  We took it in our stride. Mostly, we just had fun! What a happy time we had collaborating over building design and materials, flooring, paint colours, tiles…and all the little extras that make a house a home. It was effortless!

The House that God Built

We moved in about a month after the expected hand-over date but He had even that under control. At first I was disappointed about having to wait but I soon realized that, with my chemical sensitivities, I wouldn’t have been able to live with the odour of fresh paint. It would have brought me to my knees physically. And so God delayed things a little. By the time He carried me across the threshold (for real!) the odour had dissipated and all that remained was the heady fragrance of fresh mountain air.

For the finishing touch, He proceeded to fill my rainwater tanks with bountiful rain. They’re overflowing as I write.

I don’t know any human being who can pull that off, do you?

I think I might finally have met ‘the one’. And He doesn’t even mind if I find human love as well, as long as I continue to put Him first. Either way, I’m going to be just fine.

God makes a fine husband. In fact, there’s none better.

And the view's not too shabby, either.

Melinda Jensen is a writer concerned with social justice, spirituality, the environment, and equality. She authors a blog on domestic abuse, particularly as it pertains to its psychological and emotional effects. Over the years she has had a smattering of short stories and poetry published in national magazines and anthologies.  At the moment she is working on two fantasy novels with environmental themes, both aimed at middle school readers. And more importantly, she’s engrossed in a non-fiction work that focuses on thriving in a materialistic, consumerist world, while limited by a tiny budget.