That I May Publish

“That I may publish with the voice of thanksgiving, and tell of all thy wondrous works” (Ps. 26:7, KJV).

“With the voice of thanksgiving.”

I have had six books published, as well as a few ebooks now out there on the world wide web. Each one has been a thrill and given me great satisfaction. But each time I’ve been in danger of falling into a pit.

There is the pit of pride that tells me I’ve done this great thing and now I’m worthy; the pit of doubt that says it really isn’t that good and no-one will read it; and then the pit of despair that says I’ll never be able to do it again.

I have seen these pits gaping before me each time I’ve held a new book in my hands. They can threaten to drag me in and bury me in darkness, but I’ve found the life-line that keeps me from falling in – it’s that little thing called thankfulness.

The writer of the book of Hebrews said: “Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe. (Hebrews 12:28).

The Greek word used for thankful in this verse is charis, grace. Thanksgiving – gratitude – grace. One leads to the other and all lead to an outpouring that will bless, lift up and encourage others. That’s the pattern of life God has ordained for us all in this world, in His kingdom.

Holding a new book in your hands kind of makes you feel like you’ve just been handed a kingdom – the kingdom of imagination, the kingdom of an audience of readers, the kingdom of purpose and fulfillment. Without thankfulness that feeling would be fleeting. We would indeed be tempted to pride, to self doubt and to despair, because without thankfulness, without recognizing where this gift has come from, we realize in the depths of our soul that it is all just a mirage. Without recognizing the plan and purposes of God in and for our work, there can be no true substance to it.

There would be no charis.

So let us publish with the voice of thanksgiving, pouring out grace. And “Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts” (Colossians 3:16). 

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Marcia Lee Laycock writes from central Alberta Canada where she is a pastor's wife and mother of three adult daughters. She was the winner of The Best New Canadian Christian Author Award for her first novel, One Smooth Stone. The sequel, A Tumbled Stone was short listed in The Word Awards. Marcia also has two devotional books in print. Her work has been endorsed by Sigmund Brouwer, Janette Oke, Phil Callaway and Mark Buchanan.

Abundant Rain, an ebook devotional for writers can be downloaded here.

Her most recent release is the second book in a fantasy series,

The Ambassadors

To learn more about her writing and speaking ministry visit Marcia’s Website

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Taking the Plunge

Some time ago I had the opportunity to send an excerpt of my work to one of the top agents in the U.S. and to schedule an appointment to speak with him. When I saw the opportunity I decided to grab it, dug out an old manuscript that I've often thought of resurrecting and sent it off. I thought, why not? He'll tell me if it's worth pursuing.

I should have thought a bit more about the possible consequences. I also should have taken a closer look at the excerpt. When I sat down with him to discuss the manuscript he pointed out a couple of amateurish formatting mistakes that made me blush. But he was also gracious with his praise and asked to see the full manuscript. Of course I was floating a few feet off the ground after the interview, but then near panic when I got home.

You see I hadn't even looked at this manuscript for several years and knew it would need some work before I could send it. This is not a situation I recommend! I did a bit of a re-write and sent it to a friend to critique, letting her know I was in a bit of a rush. She was honest and made some excellent suggestions that required a fair bit of re-writing. I spent the next few and rather long days doing so. I sent it back to her and she replied again with another suggestion that required more re-writing but again, her assessment was good and I knew it would be worth the effort to follow through.

So, cringing at the obvious "I'm new at this" flag, I emailed the agent and asked him to be patient with me.

This is what not to do when submitting your work. I should have taken more time with the excerpt. I should have made sure the full manuscript was ready to send. I should have had a few people critique and edit it before taking the plunge. But if I had done all of that, the opportunity would have slipped away and I would not have been in conversation with one of the top agents in the CBA.

So, what did I learn? Sometimes you just have to take the plunge. Maybe you aren't as ready as you could be. But maybe there are things God wants to teach you in that place. Maybe, as you take the risk and walk through that door, you will learn more about yourself and your God than if you had been completely prepared. Sometimes He wants us a little off balance so we can learn that He's the one holding us up.

The scripture tells us that Jesus said, "Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it" (Mark 10:15). A little child steps into the world with wide eyes and little knowledge. She hasn't had years to prepare and build her confidence. She'll fall a lot before she gets there, but God's hand is always there to lift her up.

So don't be afraid. Go ahead, take the plunge.
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Marcia Lee Laycock writes from central Alberta Canada where she is a pastor's wife and mother of three adult daughters. She was the winner of The Best New Canadian Christian Author Award for her novel, One Smooth Stone and also has two devotional books in print. Her work has been endorsed by Sigmund Brouwer, Janette Oke, Phil Callaway and Mark Buchanan. Marcia's second novel, A Tumbled Stone has just been released.

Abundant Rain, an ebook devotional for writers can be downloaded here. 

Visit Marcia's website

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