Being Continued

No grazing deer, no pecking flickers, no meowing little black cat, no raucous crows--where is everyone this morning? It is so quiet around here. At least Bibi the parrot is talking through my laptop, asking for her usual berries, tortillas, and fish, while saying she is so sweet.

The silence is good for me. I can stay focused better. Focused is what I need to be now. I have challenged myself to write on my book or whatever it is from 8:30 to noon everyday. I just wish the words came more easily. I wish the verb tenses were easier. Do I say, "I sat" or "I was sitting", or "I had been sitting" or "I had sat"? Each is a little different in meaning. What in the world do I want to say? What is strongest? What is best? I hope my writing class that begins next week will help me in this area.

Then there is arranging and rearranging sentences within paragraphs. There is adding words and sentences for clarity. There is removing unnecessary sentences. It is a slow process.

I am probably making it slower and more difficult than necessary. I have read where one should just start writing and not look back until several pages are complete. Only then should any editing take place. For some unexplained reason, I edit after every paragraph. I not only edit the just completed paragraph, I then also edit and re-edit everything up to that point. Talk about slow progress! Let's not.

I am so thankful that I have an indwelling Editor. I just have to remember to constantly check with him as I write. I need to be constantly in touch because it is his story I am writing. It is not about me. It is not about my husband. It is not about the victims. It is about our loving, faithful God who is working wonders in the midst of a tragic situation. I can hardly wait to find out how the story ends.

If the truth be known, none of us will ever know how the story ends because what has happened over the past years influences not only our immediate family and friends, but also the generations to come. We must be faithful witnesses to God's mercy and grace, judgement and justice. This story, as I write it, will end with this phrase, "being continued."

Living with Christ in a never ending adventure,
Jan