A God-Wink for Two

Have you ever experienced a “God-wink”? Not to be confused by a “God-Aha!” moment.

Differing a Bit

The latter comes when something happens and you say, “Aha! THAT was God!” Maybe you found a $20 bill tucked in a pocket in your wallet right when you wanted to buy an extra pound of hamburger. (Not too far off with today’s prices, right?!) “Aha! That was God!” Or you planned a hike with friends and awoke to rainy skies. Then, just before you pick up your phone to call and cancel, the sun breaks through! “Aha! God!”

In contrast, a God-wink isn’t bound by a circumstance like a need of income or change of weather. It comes from God’s infinite love for us in a unique answer to a prayer we often didn’t know we’d prayed. An unspoken desire or unasked question.

A Wink or Two

Imagine the reasons you would choose to wink at another person. It could be from a joke, or show a connection between two people, something only they understand. Or a way to say, “I’ve got you.”

That final example fits the God-winks I’ve experienced, including an exciting and satisfying one that happened recently—a God-wink for two.

Novel-writing Blues

For about a hundred years, I’ve been working on a novel. (Insert winky face to show exaggeration … slight, but true.) In fact, I have no less than a dozen novel starts. Our youngest daughter (twenty-eight and with two published novels already to her credit) helped brainstorm several of said novels. One in particular started with a puzzle piece I found on a sidewalk in a country town and a memory of a pink polka-dotted piece of popcorn! Now, how’s that for a teaser?

I’ve written 30,000 words and about three books’ worth of prewriting on that novel to date. (Insert winky face … you know the drill!) AND that is the novel our daughter chose for me to finish first. The choice came about through a promise I made to her this past April when she was moving six hours away … a promise I sort of regret making: to finish one novel of her choice by a date of her choosing (January 19, 2025) the same date she will finish her bachelor’s degree.

Pre-writing – Check!

For two or three weeks after she moved, I spent time reading novel-writing books and read what I had written, making notes to help me write the next 60,000 words. (According to the trusty internet, that’s the length of the average adult novel.) I found marvelous tips about voice and conflict. I found exercises I’d done previously that led to some excellent character development.

All told, I had a perceptive protagonist—a helpful type for novels, a sweet setting—one unique enough to pique a reader’s interest, and a truism for a takeaway—the type readers of varied ages could relate to. And the plot potential had enough variables to keep a reader reading!

Lesson #1 through Infinity

However, I felt concerned about meeting the needs of my intended audience, the Baby Boomers of the 1940s to 1960s. And I doubted that I could author novels when I’d only written and published devotions, inspirational articles, and homeschool curriculum to date.

Sure, I’d taught novel writing to a multitude of students, but had I learned it myself? For over twenty-five years I’d also attended writers’ conferences and taken two writing correspondence courses. Last year, I wrote a one-year creative writing curriculum—180 lesson plans covering many genres, including twenty-four weeks of lessons on writing short stories. You’d think by now I knew something about novel writing!

Oh, did I mention I taught the daughter I mentioned above how to draft novels? Brainstormed her published novels with her? Edited said novels? Yep, been there, did that, terrified to do it myself.

And one more thing to add to this saga: a professional editor commented on a section she edited for me of said novel-in-progress … “Finish this and send it to _____________ publisher! Now!” (Hmm … another winky face? Or an eye roll?)

Back to Work

That brings us to October 2024. It hit me that I had about three months to make good on my promise. Subtract holiday gift-making and activities, plus other writing projects with definitive due dates, and I’m down to about sixty days, if that.

I decided to research emotional needs of  Baby Boomers. I discovered a link to a recent column on a media website written by a lady who professed to be one of us BBs in which she talked about … you guessed it: Baby Boomers. However, she didn’t mention their needs specifically.

Contact Made

With my love of journalism, I’ve garnered some grand researching tips—translation: I clicked on “Contact Us.” As I’d hoped, the page held an email address of the editor, and I sent off a quick note asking to connect with the columnist … and a prayer that it would get to the right person.

Usually, these things take time, right? But gratefully, the columnist sent an email within a short amount of time and offered to chat with me via telephone! Wow! (Of course, we BBs still use those outdated devices.)

God-wink for One …

A few days later, I talked with the author for an hour. And voila! The God-wink for two was revealed!

Unknown to me, this columnist had been considering giving up writing, along with her column, feeling it didn’t connect with her readers. (Sound familiar? Insert winky face.) When I’d written my email to her editor, I’d mentioned how delightful her columns were, how the topics and writing together brought graciousness to her readers. The editor had forwarded my email to her, my words bringing her a sign that she was still making a difference, still a valued columnist. And she called it a “God-wink.”

During our phone conversation, we just happened to get into the subject of teaching and my homeschool connections. Her church just happened to have started a homeschool parents group which she felt could use the guidance of a veteran homeschooler (I have over thirty years of experience). I just happened to be planning to launch a website in the new year devoted to curriculum and tips for homeschoolers. Our connection deepened.

God-wink for Two

Finally, knowing we’d been talking quite a while without getting around to the main topic (a typical thing with we BBs, I believe), I asked her what her opinion was about the things on most Baby Boomers’ hearts today. What I could include in a story that would bless them. (Remember, these people are between the ages of sixty and eighty.)

Her answer included:

• A renewed sense of purpose
• The ability to help others
• The desire to feel needed
• The longing to be seen as available and able

And the bells rang. I may have been a participant in the God-wink for the author, but now, she was one in the God-wink for me. Each one of those needs were already part of the plans for my novel … every single one.

I laughed and praised God as I thanked her (and Him) for confirming what I should’ve known—This novel is on the right track. I’M on the right track.

Has God winked at you recently?

In both of these God-winks I heard God saying, “I’ve got you!” The columnist hadn’t prayed for someone to show her a reason not to give up writing. But God winked as He nudged me to contact her editor with praise for her writing at the right time. And I hadn’t prayed for those needs to be the exact ones I had already written into the storyline and my character development. Yet, God winked again in joy as He knew the author would confirm I was on the right track in my writing. God had both our backs.

What about you? Have you experienced a God-wink? They happen when we’re not watching or asking. It’s the way God shows He’s got us.