by Alena Wendall, @alenawendall

Photo by Marc-Olivier Jodoin on Unsplash

Hubby and I visited Kerrville and found this amazing garden. Not your traditional garden. The Coming King Sculpture Prayer Garden is 23 acres and free to all—and it houses a 77-foot steel cross.

As I walked around the garden, I found a sign that delineated the time from the concept of the Prayer Garden to its birth. December 2001 to July 2010—nine years! 

Then I thought about Biblical heroes that had to wait for their promises. You know that guy Noah? Bible scholars estimate it took seventy-five to eighty years to build the ark. What about Abraham? He waited twenty-five years for his son to show up. Both Noah and Abraham served faithfully until the promise manifested.

  Several friends started on this writing journey at the same time as me. Today, some of them have a dozen books published. They are far ahead of me. (Facebook can be a blessing and a curse.) God has to continually remind me that my journey is on His timetable not mine.

My friends have encouraged me to see outside my narrow lenses. Okay, it was more like a whack upside the head, but hey—it worked. 

Can I share?

1. Write. Write that sentence. Write the next sentence. Write the paragraph. Write the scene. Write the chapter and then the next. You will soon have a book. Large blocks of writing time in my life don’t happen. Take what you can. Write from your phone if you have to—but write. If you can’t get large blocks of writing time, don’t worry. Use the time you have, and it will happen. Writing in small blocks of time forces you to maximize your time.
2. Prioritize your priorities—and don’t feel guilty about it. My mom went to heaven when she was twenty-nine. That event has colored every aspect of my life today. I know that we are not guaranteed tomorrow. I cherish the time I have with my kids. So, for me, writing comes after my time with them. 
3. Leave the rest to God. I’m striving for obedience to the calling He’s placed in my life. I’m responsible to do what I can, learn what I can, and leave the rest in His hands.

 I hope these words from my heart encourage you. Remember—when the dream seems far away, trust that God is faithful. What He’s promised, he will fulfill.

Writing as Alena Wendall, Alena Tauriainen pens contemporary Christian romance novels that always end with a happily ever after. By day, she partners with her lifelong mate Clyde, to run the family HVAC business. She manages both business and family life with four lovable but crazy kids. She is the Retreats Coordinator for My Book Therapy. She is represented by Rachelle Gardner with Books & Such Literary Management. Visit her at alenawendall.com.