A Thrill a Minute

Today's guest devotion is by Loree Lough, from: His Grace is Sufficient…Decaf is Not © 2011 Summerside Press

A Thrill a Minute

"Why would people gain the whole world, but lose their lives?" Mark 8:36

As a kid, few things excited me more than hearing my parents say, "We're going to the amusement park!" Back then, I was an adventure junkie; the bigger and scarier the ride, the better I liked it. I'm not sure when—or why—it happened, but one day the thrill turned into fear, and these days, I can't hang curtains unless the chair I'm standing on is guaranteed not to reel and rock, not even a smidge!

            

Dreaming about becoming a published author reminds me of a roller coaster ride. The "big idea?" That was me, in line, waiting to belt myself into the car. Each tick-tick-tick as it climbed to the top of the first hill? "Stage One, Story Development." Next tick? Setting, then character development, point of view, conflict, dialog. The ups and downs earned titles such as Edits and Rewrites and Second-guessing Myself. The last hill—the steepest and most terrifying of all: Typing "The End." And then, that final stomach-churning plummet down, down that had me holding my breath doubled my heartbeat as I hit the SEND key.

            

Afterward? I got right back in line, of course, and waited as editors and agents sifted through people-tall stacks of mail. I stared at the phone and watched the mailbox. I read email, but "We'd like to offer a contract!" wasn't among any of the messages.

            

So I got back into line. Again. And I buckled myself in. Again…despite what my published author friends told me about novels that didn't sell, despite the years they'd written them. They complained about small publishing houses that were gobbled up by bigger ones, and mid-sized companies that went belly-up. They groaned when editors took extended maternity leave after telling them how much they believed in their stories. Bookstore chains folded, distributors stopped distributing. Agents culled their client lists, and the editors not on maternity leave were pulling double-duty, making that painful wait between Send and Reply take twice as much time as before.

            

I couldn’t help but ask: "Is my dream worth all this agony?"

            

I said a loud and resounding Yes.

            

And whatever your dream is, Yes should be your answer, too. Because—whether part or all of your dream comes true—you will have yet another reason to glorify God your Father, who used every up and down moment you endured to prove His love…

            

…and thrill you with the exhilarating gift of His grace.    

Today's Prayer: O God in heaven, I know that you want me to be a conduit of Your grace, so that Your loving kindness can flow from me into the lives of those near me. Use me, Lord, to pass on the simple truth: Though we have not—cannot—earn it, Your love knows no bounds. Hallelujah!  

With 81 books (3,000,000+ in circulation), Loree Lough’s novels consistently earn 4- and 5-star reviews, such as From Ashes to Honor, a 9/11 story (First Responders series) and Love Finds You in Folly Beach, South Carolina. She splits her time between her Baltimore home and a cabin in the Alleghenies…where coffee enables her to correctly identify “critter tracks.” Visit her Website at www.LoreeLough.com