by Patty Smith Hall @PattySmithHall
Years ago when I first started writing, there was a sense of excitement down deep in my soul. Household chores were left undone as I spent time at my kitchen table, pen in hand, as I created my first stories. But it wasn’t just the writing that mattered to me. It was the time I spent with God beforehand, reading His Word and writing in my prayer journal that set me on the right course for the rest of my writing time. When I started my days like that, writing became more like an act of worship. Words and phrases I would have never thought of myself seemed to follow from my pen. It was in those moments God taught me things about myself I never would have learned in church.
I sold my first book, then my next. Before I realized it, my days were filled with deadlines, marketing strategies and social media. I’d mumble a few words in prayer rather than spend time in my prayer journal. My focus shifted away from writing with God to meeting my growing obligations. A new contract was a blessing and a curse, and I procrastinated. I gave ‘good enough’ but not my best. By the time I turned in my last book, I sworn I would never write again.
