The Circle of Life

The Beginning of My Circle of Life

I’ll never forget my first Christian writers conference. My mom and I printed directions from Mapquest, reserved our hotel, and began our seven-hour drive to Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Neither of us is sure what happened in Montgomery, but the printed directions sent us in circles and added two extra hours to our trip. We weren’t too concerned, and filled the time together with laughter, counting Dollar Generals, and noticing all the airplanes along the way that were mounted on large poles (apparently that’s an Alabama thing.)

The previous summer, we attended a book festival in an elite town. We must have missed the memo instructing us about scarves being the accent item of choice and blue jeans being unacceptable. That weekend, we felt out of place; but when we walked into the church in Tuscaloosa, we both smiled and commented in tandem, “No scarves!”

I met amazing people at this first conference—connections that are still in place fifteen years later. Mom and I learned much of the lingo and began to understand the publishing world. This first weekend conference whet my appetite and fueled my writing flame so much that Mom and I drove the nine hours to Tuscaloosa again the following summer. Yes, I said nine hours. We didn’t get as lost, but I was nine months pregnant and needed to stop every hour to empty my bladder.

Somewhere in the Middle

Since these early experiences, writing won’t leave me alone. Even when I’ve gotten rejection after rejection and I pledge to never pick up my pen again, there’s a nudging deep inside that never relents. When we are called by God to do something, his Holy Spirit won’t stop the repetitive nudges and all-out pokes.

Fast-forward ten years. I was writing more often, sharing with others through a blog, and weekly submitting a column to our local newspaper. Even with these big steps, fear held me hostage. The need to please people ruled my pen and I couldn’t accept the fact that I was a good writer. The negative self-talk, fear, and excuses ran wild in my mind. And then I took a chance.

Georgia Christian Writers Conference in Toccoa, Georgia changed my life. For the first time, I put my writing out there. I entered their contest and signed up with a mentor, Cindy Sproles. People told me I wrote well, but they were all friends and family. Until this conference, no one outside my circle had ever validated my writing ability. When they called my name, having placed in all four categories I entered, I ugly-Oprah-cried all the way to the front. My mentor locked eyes with me from the back of the room and mouthed, “I told you.” And at that moment I knew—writing was my calling.

A Bigger Yes

Now, fast-forward five more years. I’m no longer a newbie. God has made his direction very clear in the writing and speaking department. Personal goals and achievements have been met; lessons were learned the hard way. Fear and rejection have been replaced with determination and obedience. And now, whether I feel ready or not, it’s time to step up.

This October I will be on faculty for the first time at a writing conference. Initially, I told myself I didn’t have anything to offer, I was still a beginner myself. But last year, standing in line for a meal, these first-time conferees pinged me with question after question and somehow, I knew what to say to them. After about fifteen minutes, one of the ladies asked me what class I would be teaching at the conference. Headlights hit this deer. Then she asked again. That’s when I knew—even though I hadn’t arrived at expert status, I wasn’t a beginner anymore, either. Encouraging these beginners was now a part of my calling.

I told her I appreciated her faith in my knowledge and that I would consider teaching the following year. And here I am. Not only teaching a class but meeting with three beginners who chose me as a mentor. I’m a little terrified honestly. They are where I sat five years ago, in need of validation and encouragement. This could be the pivotal moment in their lives that propels them into their calling for Christ. This is a big deal.

The Real Circle of Life

And it’s an honor. When God calls us to the next level, even if we don’t feel equipped, adequate, or ready, the only right answer is yes. Yes, I trust your timing. Yes, I want to be your mouthpiece. Yes, I want to be your hands and feet. Yes, I want to be available. Yes, I will get out of the way and let you work. Yes, it’s my honor.

He wants our yes in the beginning. He wants our yes in the middle. And he wants our yes until our final breath. The circle of life isn’t birth, aging, and death. The circle of life is remaining in the circle of his divine will and giving him our yes even before we know the question. It’s teaching others what we’ve learned on this journey. It’s learning from others who are further along. It’s never getting too comfortable where we are and always being willing to step out in faith when he asks us to.

Does God have your yes? 

Does he have your talents, giftings, and abilities, or have you taken them off the altar and hidden them?

Have you given up on the deep nudges of the Holy Spirit in your life?

Or have you stopped making excuses and placing God in your human box, and flung yourself at his feet offering everything to him?

It’s not too late to step back into God’s circle of life—you just need a yes.

 

(For more on surrendering, read here: Surrender to God’s Plan – Inspire A Fire)

Copyright Christy Bass Adams August 2024, All Images from Canva