Weekend Worship—Above the Clouds

Faithful is He who calls you, and He also will bring it to pass. I Thessalonians 5:24

Many of you know today is the start of the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian WritersConference. I’m privileged to be the co-director of this wonderful conference and it’s one of the highlights of my years.  

But I didn’t start out on staff—far from it.

I started where most of you are, as a nervous, first-time attendee who wondered if she’d heard God right when He called. It’s a daunting prospect to take your dreams out of the clouds and into real life. And that’s what you’re doing if you’ve attended a writers conference.

I remember one year, I got up at 4:30am to make the drive to the conference. As I wound my way toward the mountains God surprised me with a glorious sunrise reflecting off the clouds. Everything about it held the promise of great things to come.

But as I got closer to my goal in the mountains, the clouds descended and fog engulfed my car. I was forced to slow—almost to a crawl at times—because it was so thick. As I drove I couldn’t help but be reminded of my writing journey.

It began with a glorious revelation from God. He gifted me with an idea and the tools to pursue my dream. He even arranged for me to speak at my very first women’s retreat—all within just a few months of my decision to dedicate my writing to him.

At that point I had my career all mapped out, along with the goals of what I wanted to accomplish when.

But then the clouds descended. I couldn’t get any traction at all. Everything in the universe, from friend to family to finances seemed determined to keep me from my goal. It got so bad, I began to wonder if I’d somehow gotten off on the wrong track.

Looking back at those dark years, before publication, I could see God was growing me. He was honing his instrument, testing my readiness, giving me the foundation I’d need to stay the course.


Just like my trip to the mountains, the writer’s path can be filled with unexpected clouds. When I drove into the fog on the way here I didn't stop and camp out there. I kept going. I knew the goal lay before me, even if it was currently out of sight.

There are going to be times during this journey when we'll feel like we've ended up in a cloud bank. God, just like the sun, can seem to be blocked by a fog of confusion and doubt.  It's at those times we need to remember our goals and keep climbing. As long as we keep moving, the sun will shine again.