Friday, July 8, 2011

Appreciating Small Miracles and Taking Him Along With Me On My Journey

As a member of the Romance Writers of America (RWA), I spent the week of June 28-July 1 eagerly following the tweets of the authors who descended on NYC for annual conference. As an unpublished author, I couldn't justify the added expense to our household budget but figured I could learn much from 'following' along those in attendance. After four days of reading about the excitement of workshops, book signings, author lunches and the award dinner, my thoughts had changed completely. I resolved on that last day that next year I would attend the annual conference, even if it was across the country in Anaheim, California. However, I decided that I would justify the trip by making publication my goal. On July 5, I launched my new blog 'Countdown to Contract', the link I will share at the end of this blog. My goal is to obtain my first book contract so that when I attend that conference I will be attending as a published author. Of course I have many small goals to accomplish along the way, but this is my 'pie in the sky' goal.

It's now Day 4 of my quest, and I chronicle each day on my blog. For accountability, I share my day's work with my followers on Twitter and my friends on Facebook. I have not missed a day of work and, though I usually write six days a week, with this new challenge I will be writing on Sundays.

Now working on Sundays, being connected on the day I reserve for introspection and family, will be a challenge. Sundays have always started with the wise words of my favorite pastor. Oftentimes I enjoy his words so much I will watch the broadcast several times, just so that the inspiration seeps in to my subconscious. I also like to read my Bible, devotionals and any inspirational book I might be in the middle of. It's also a day to spend with my children, despite their growing older and more independent, as well as the cats who call my yard their home. But a promise is a promise and when you say something out loud, like I announced my intentions on Twitter and Facebook, then there's the accountability. How would it look if I miss a day? How could my blog go from Day 3 to Day 5? So it's this accountability that gravitates me to my keyboard each and every morning. It's also the only way I'm going to keep finishing books, submitting those books and getting the interest of an agent/editor. Agents and editors are looking for writers who write every day, who can produce not just one book but many. They are looking for writers who they can turn into career writers and that's what I intend to be.

This morning, though, feeling tired from a very busy week, I slowed my pace. Instead of jumping immediately into the shower, I came downstairs and enjoyed a cup of tea. Instead of gulping it down, I sipped it slowly, savoring the taste and the warmth. Instead of quickly dolling out cat food onto the half a dozen plates on my front porch, I poured it out slowly, aware of the cats winding between my legs and calling out their morning greeting. And instead of running to take that shower, start that laundry or some other chore, I knelt down in the doorway and watched from the glass storm door as my little cat farm relished the food they get every morning. My reward came in the form of four tiny, fuzzy bodies as they bounded up the steps of the porch behind Snowy, a cat I've been feeding since her birth. I had known she was pregnant. I had remembered her disappearing for several weeks but not having seen any kittens, had forgotten all about it.

I watched wide eyed as those five squirmy bodies piled into a huddle around a plate of food, chewing alongside one another as their mama watched vigilantly. Though I've had kittens around before, I hadn't seen any this small. As a matter of fact, their mama was the runt of the litter she came from and had always remained on the small side. I marveled at the fact that not only had her kittens survived but that she had had four of them. Knowing how skittish kittens can be, I stayed motionless on my knees. Two kittens were a dark gray and two kittens were gray and white, matched as perfectly as two sets of salt and pepper shakers.

I was amazed at how they could survive living from bush to bush, constantly on alert for wild animals, dogs, cars with distracted drivers and countless other things threatening them at any time. And the first thought that came in to my mind was one of my favorite scriptures in the Bible: "Look at the birds. They don't plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren't you far more valuable to him than they are?" - Matthew 6:26 NLT.  

To me, seeing those kittens thriving with their mother, regardless of all the things that could come up against them, reminded me of the miracle of life. The simple miracle of those kittens being born perfect. As we count our baby's toes and fingers, they too are born with all they need to make their way in this world. Their survival will depend somewhat on their start in this world and much on their survival skills. What I need to remember is that, unlike those kittens, I have someone else who will guide me in this world. And with His guiding hand I not only can survive, I can meet my goals and thrive!



                                           

2 comments:

  1. What a beautiful post to remind us to slow down and really see our lives and the world around us.
    Great goals of writing everyday too!
    Don't forget that link so I can follow your daily progress and cheer you on! :)

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  2. Thanks so much for stopping by, Debora! I'd love for you to follow my daily progress! All cheerleaders welcome! You can find me every day at
    http://countdowntocontract.wordpress.com/
    Thanks!

    ReplyDelete