Hey Clan!
“God bore this day before you and together you bear it now.”
M.N. Stroh
This is perhaps one of the most profound truths I wanted to get across to readers when I set out to write the Tale of the Clans series. It’s something I’ve sought to wrap my head around for most of my life.
In these uncertain days where quarantine and social distancing remains foremost in people’s minds, and headlines and social media are littered with COVID-19, I felt it necessary to break through all the fear mongering to hone in on this truth.
If you’re like me, you’re probably worn weary of it all. Overwhelmed and longing for a breath of fresh air…and maybe assurance that life will return to some sense of normalcy.
I confess, being bogged down in edits, and readjusting to homeschooling my three kiddos, has left me disconnected from a lot. Often I feel frayed. Most days I don’t allow myself time to genuinely relax. I simply function in survival mode. Today, I knew it was time for a break.
I needed to come up for air! Maybe you do too.
Inspiration Outside of Self
Are you familiar with the old “Footprints” poem?
The general gist is: a man walking on the beach with God, notices the trail of footprints left behind him. A set of two footprints, God’s and his, were visible for part of the journey, but at a certain point, he noticed only one set, and presumed himself to be alone.
Seclusion often makes us feel alone. At times like these we’re all painfully aware of that void. Nothing makes us focus inward faster than lonely circumstances.
In those times, it’s paramount that we get outside of ourselves.
I can’t emphasize that enough. We NEED to get outside of ourselves!
Just like the man on the beach, it’s easy to lose perspective when overwhelmed by our circumstances. He never realized until God got his attention, that the times when he felt most alone and helpless, God carried him.
The single set of footprints belonged to God.
God wasn’t caught unaware by the circumstances we’re in now.
We were.
Despite that, He’s still here. He never stopped being with you through it all, and though you may not feel it right now, He may even be carrying you.
During the days that feel like a burden, remember He carried that burden before it ever came to be reality for you. While you feel like you’re shouldering it alone, you’re not.
He’s helping you carry the burden! He walks with you in the day.
What Inspires You?
So as we start out our week, I want to reach out to you. I want to encourage you to get out of yourself and find the inspiration you need to carry you through the day.
What inspires you?
Do you find your spiritual life is hurting? Maybe it’s time to spend an hour or two in prayer and God’s Word. And don’t pigeon-hole yourself either. If it’s nice, take your Bible (or Bible app), and get outside. Find a beautiful spot to read and talk to God.
Are you an extrovert missing your friends? I’ve found Zoom is an excellent app for getting in that necessary face-time with those we’re cut off from. I’d encourage you to give it a try and share it with your loved ones. Even the free version will give you at least 40 minutes to gab with a group of three or more.
Maybe you’re an introvert like me, who’s spent too much time with your nose to the grindstone. Don’t be afraid to schedule in that necessary creative time to recharge. Read a book! Work on a fun project or craft! Play a mindless video game or get out for a walk.
Oh, and by the way, don’t keep all of these suggestions to yourself. If you’re shut-in with family, make a group effort out of these ideas too. Spend time with God together, get on a big family/friend Zoom call, or orchestrate group projects inside or outdoors.
Coming Up!
One thing that inspires me is character development!
As an artistic individual I’m visually stimulated. So I love to create collages and character/story boards to refine my novels.
If you follow me on Instagram, you may have noticed this little gem (it’s buried a bit so you’ll have to scroll).
It’s a collage for Lord of Vengeance I created on Canva using images from my secret Pinterest boards. Nope, you can’t see them until publication day. But you’re welcome to peruse the rest of my boards until then.
In future posts I’m going to share some inspirational collages for Rise of Betrayal to give you an insider view on what inspired those characters. It’ll give you something other than a virus to focus on, and geeky info to fuel you until publication day.
Important Disclaimer!
The above collage is only for personal use. It will never appear in any promotional material, and I do not advocate others collecting public images and using them on Canva to create any promotional material without the express consent of original sources.
I understand that the original images are likely protected by copyright, and as such may need to be removed from my site. If that is the case, I’ll happily do so. Don’t sue me!
You won’t get any money out of me anyway because I’m too poor to stock up on toilet paper.
