A Good Change

Have you ever felt like you were stuck? That no matter how hard you tried, all you ever managed to do was to dig yourself in deeper?

I was feeling that way recently. When I started writing with the goal of publication, I would sit at my dining room table. It was the only available space in the house. Unfortunately, my little house can get quite noisy. But feeling like I had no where else to go, I would put on my headphones and write while my family went about their business. Noisily.  But it was okay. Mostly. I was only working on one book at a time.  And I wasn’t under any kind of time constraint to finish writing a book.

That was then. Back in February I signed a multi-book contract with Love Inspired Suspense. I was, and still am, over the moon about the opportunity. But now was the tricky part. I had multiple deadlines. And was working on writing books I had already sold. Clearly, taking my time was no longer an option.

At first, I tried to work with things as they were. I would set up the dining room table with my work, then remove it when the table was needed for other things. Such as dinner.  Then set it all up again. I ignored the frustration that was building. But then I realized that I wasn’t accomplishing as much as I needed to. Something had to change. When my daughter was getting rid of her pretty pink desk in exchange for a boring brown one, I had a light bulb moment.

In my room, I had a lovely window seat my mother had installed for my birthday. It was squeezed into an alcove. I ripped it out. Literally. As in grabbed it with my hands and pulled it out. I rearranged the furniture in the dining room so that it could be installed under the window there. And it is getting a lot more use from the family.

The pretty pink desk was moved into its place. Along with my laptop and some of my favorite writing books. Suddenly, I had an office. When it was time to work, I could shut the door and focus.

All it took was a willingness to change.

I think faith is like that sometimes. We get into ruts without realizing it. Sometimes we need a change of venue. Just to get out of the way and spend time focusing on Jesus. I am still working on this. Because it’s a relationship. And relationships take work.