When Life and Writing Fall Apart

by Martin Wiles @LinesFromGod

Life’s falling apart episodes provide plenty of food for our writing fodder, but let’s be honest . . . who really enjoys it when life and writing fall apart? 

Carlton* appeared to have it all—a good job, a loving wife, great kids. Everything seemed to work in his favor, until he and his family moved to a different city near a relative who loved drugs. One day, this relative offered Carlton a little “feel-good.” In a moment of weakness, Carlton took it. He was hooked . . . immediately. 

After that, things went downhill quickly. Carlton couldn’t get enough of his new friend. He loved him so much that he spent his entire paycheck to get more time with him, leaving his family with no money for bills or groceries. His wife worked part-time, but her income only made a dent in the household expenses. 

Even Carlton’s paycheck couldn’t cover his desire for more. So, when his need outweighed his conscience, he robbed two stores. The police quickly apprehended and incarcerated him. 

Carlton’s wife and kids loved him through his up and downs—and jail time. He eventually reformed . . . somewhat . . . but now and then found himself returning to his old friend. Unfortunately, Carlton’s life ended tragically one night when he ran off the road and wrecked. I performed his funeral and watched his wife and family grieve over his untimely death. Life had fallen apart years ago for them, and, like Humpty Dumpty, it never came back together. 

I had known Carlton for many years before his addiction. He was a good guy who allowed an addictive substance to ruin his and his family’s lives. But I’m no different. Nor was Paul. He struggled to do the right thing, but sometimes, even when he did, life still fell apart. 

“I want to do what is good, but I don’t. I don’t want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway” (Romans 7:19 NLT).

Because of our sinful nature, we are capable of unimaginable things. God understands but doesn’t excuse our actions. But sin affects our world also, meaning things will occasionally fall apart even when we’ve done the right thing. 

If we’ve messed up, confession is in order. Then, we must forgive ourselves to get on with life and God’s plan. If life has fallen apart through no fault of our own, we must walk by faith and trust God to bring good from evil. And when we suffer from others’ bad decisions, we must forgive. 

So where does that leave us as writers? Well, sometimes we mess up, and sometimes others mess us up. At other times, it is no one’s fault. We just live in a sin-cursed world. 

To be sure, God has a plan for our writing life—and it won’t be the same plan as He has for anyone else. We’ll know success . . . and failure. Occasionally, things won’t work out, although we’ve jumped through all the right hoops. We won’t get the contract, realize our anticipated book sales, be asked to speak at the conference, get the scholarship, win the contest, or even have our name and bio attached to our article. To make matters worse, rarely, if ever, will God reveal why. 

The good news? Our writing makes a difference—despite opposition, failures, and southbound life events. When our life and writing fall apart—periodically at the same time—we don’t have to fall apart with it. God still controls, and that’s the best news. 

How can you incorporate the difficult times into your writing so that you don’t fall apart when everything else does?

*Name changed to protect privacy.

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When Life and Writing Fall Apart, insight from author Martin Wiles (@LinesFromGod) on @EdieMelson (Click to Tweet)

Martin Wiles is the founder of Love Lines from God (WWW.LOVELINESFROMGOD.COM) and serves as Managing Editor for Christian Devotions and Directing Editor for VineWords. He has authored six books and has been published in numerous publications. His most recent book, DON'T JUST LIVE...REALLY LIVE, debuted in October of 2021. He is a freelance editor, English teacher, author, and pastor.

Featured Image: Photo by Lucian Novosel on Unsplash