I Believe I'm a Writer, Lord! Help My Unbelief

by James L. Rubart

I went to my first writing conference at Mt Hermon in the spring of '06, and that's where I was when the e-mail came.

It was from my friend Scott who had had a serendipitous breakfast that morning with a publisher, the one at the top of my wish list.

Scott told this person about me and that I had written a manuscript. The publisher told Scott to invite me to send in my story.

I can still remember my heart rate spiking as I read that e-mail. I thought that was it: My big break. God arranging for a chance meeting between my friend and my dream publisher. I would send in my story, the publisher would love it, and I'd have my first contract.

Didn't work out that way. The publisher e-mailed back a few days after I sent my manuscript and kindly rejected it. I was stunned. This wasn't the way the script was supposed to go.

What Do You Believe?

I stepped onto the back deck of my house in a daze. After a few minutes, Darci (my wife) came out and asked what was going on. I told her about the rejection and then waited for her response. It wasn't what I expected.

"At some point you're going to have to make a choice."

"What choice?"

"Whether you believe you're a writer or not, no matter what anyone else says, no matter if you ever get published. So what's it going to be?"

A wise woman, Darci is.

That moment changed me. Because I decided to believe. I was going to write even if no one ever published me. Even if no one read my work. Even if no one else stood beside me.

So what do you believe?

If you're reading this post, it's a safe bet to say you have a passion for writing. Then believe. It's a safe bet to say you can't keep the words inside. Then believe. It's a pretty safe assumption to think you will keep writing even if God is the only one who ever reads your work. Then believe.

You ARE a writer.

We choose to believe. Lord, help our unbelief!

Oh, You Want to Know Who the Publisher Was?

The person my friend Scott met at breakfast? It was Allen Arnold, who was then Sr VP and Publisher at Thomas Nelson.

And five years after Allen rejected me, he signed me to a five book contract. Crazy, I know.

Sure glad I decided to believe and kept writing.

How 'bout you?

James L. Rubart is the best-selling and Christy award winning author of ROOMS, BOOK OF DAYS, THE CHAIR, SOUL’S GATE, MEMORY’S DOOR, and SPIRIT BRIDGE (Just released!). During the day he runs Barefoot Marketing which helps businesses and authors make more coin of the realm. In his free time he dirt bikes, hikes, golfs, takes photos, and occasionally does sleight of hand. No, he doesn’t sleep much. He lives with his amazing wife and two sons in the Pacific Northwest and still thinks he’s young enough to water ski like a madman. More at http://jameslrubart.com/