Are You Slogging Through? Me too.

 I waited patiently for the Lord;

    he inclined to me and heard my cry.

2 

He drew me up from the pit of destruction,

    out of the miry bog,

and set my feet upon a rock,

    making my steps secure.

3 

Psalm 40:1-2

I know you've been there.

Slogging away at a project 

that seems like it will 

never get finished.

Wanting to just give up, 

but knowing you have to keep going.

The end is not in sight anymore.

And you know it shouldn't be this hard.

You cry out, or silently think out, to God, 

"Why is this taking so long? It feels like I'm trudging through mud!" 

And then he reminds you that you're in a spiritual battle. 

And then you do say outluud to the one who is doing what he can to make things seem hard, 

"I renounce any schemes of the enemy! In Jesus' name he cannot thwart what God has led me to do.

I'm working on a project like that. 

Trying to get it across the finish line.

I started it in 2016 actually. More than four years later I dusted off a little booklet project.

Last October I rallied to see if I could get it done for Christmas gifts.

It seemed like the right timing.

It would be 

    a happy accomplishment 

        to celebrate

            after a year that gave us much 

                to mourn 

                    and be unhappy about.

The process bogged down, and I thought EASTER 2021 might be a more realistic goal. Now here I am still tweaking with the designer, and offering to pay her more than the contract said.

My back is to the wall with a deadline, and so many tasks still should be done in order to share it well.

This isn't my project. This isn't even my life. I am the Lord's, and so is this project!

So, Pray. 

Keep praying.

Each time I get the overwhelm 

from all the options and advice offered in the publishing world.

Keep moving forward in the quest,

but keep praying.  

For peace. 

    For favor.

        For guidance. 

            For wisdom.

Yesterday afternoon I prayed, "I'm overwhelmed by the printer options out there. Lord can you help me identify a local one? Being new here in Chattanooga, and I'd sure love to give this job to someone locally. Get to know more people here, let them have my business."

Later, in the evening, I pulled up the links to the options again. My editor/designer had recommended five websites. Only one, it turns out, prints the size of booklet I want it to be.

Can you guess where that printer is located? Yep. Chattanooga!

This morning, after thinking about being stuck in the mud. I had been reading in multiple places that a book landing page is the MOST important marketing tool, so I searched domain names. And...a really great one - that includes the title - is still available.

Then this afternoon, I had scheduled a call with a mentor/friend. The prolific author Pam Farrel was willing to spend some time with me to give me advice, to help me find my way clearer through this miry bog of the publishing industry. (She and her husband Bill authored Men are Like Waffles, Women are Like Spaghetti, and between them have 50 others). She LOVES the project. She rejoiced about the printer and the domain news. She gave me heaps of advice and I have a clearer plan for my next steps. Something WILL get done by Easter, but MORE will wait until my 60th birthday next February (in time for Easter 2022!)

In her time with the Lord and his word this morning she was reading from Psalm 40. This time I included the next verse, which feels quite prophetic, in light of my hopes for this booklet: 

I waited patiently for the Lord;

    he inclined to me and heard my cry.

2 

He drew me up from the pit of destruction,

    out of the miry bog,

and set my feet upon a rock,

    making my steps secure.

3 

He put a new song in my mouth,

    a song of praise to our God.

Many will see and fear,

    and put their trust in the Lord.

Psalm 40:1-3

Photo Credit: Annie Spratt, Pixbay