Moments of Intersection

If you follow me on Facebook, Twitter, or in real life, it won't come as any secret to you that this weekend my hubby and I had an opportunity to see some of the Dancing with the Stars professional dancers at a charity event. And let's just say I was a tiny bit excited. :D It's no secret how much I love DWTS, but when the dancers came off the stage and down into the aisles, I had this sixteen-year-old-girl-on-stage-with-Audio-Adrenaline moment (yes, that really happened too), resulting in the fabulous photo op with my favorite dancer from the show:

I didn't even realize Val was also in the picture until I looked at it later. And I'm pretty sure he's touching my elbow.

I look just a little bit happy to be there, eh?

I would like to say the three of us had a heart to heart about how much they love dancing on the show, and then they taught me the proper way to Viennese Waltz. 

But in reality, the conversation went something more like this:

Me: "Tristan, can I get a picture with you?"

Tristan: "Of course!"

(Husband takes the photo---which, by the way, he totally gets bonus points for what a good picture it turned out to be)

Tristan: "Beautiful. Thank you!"

And then they were back on stage in a flash.

But those of you who frequent my blog know that I'm loosely patterning the hero in my WIP after Tristan, so this was such a cool moment! And I'm also just a really big DWTS fan. I've decided that someday when I've sold five million books and they beg me to be on the show, I'm going to request Tristan to be my partner because he's the nicest pro and is such a great dancer.

So, I started thinking about what a cool moment this was, and I realized that in life, we all have these moments of intersection. Some seem significant to us, like meeting our spouse for instance, and others seem insignificant. But each one of these moments matter. Every day, every time we interact with someone else, even if it's only online, it's almost as if we're at an intersection, and we cross paths. These moments bring opportunities to make a difference in the world.

I am fairly certain Tristan has no recollection whatsoever of my existence. And yet I am writing a blog about the picture. And that's kind of funny. But on a deeper note, it really does apply to all of us. How often do we have contact with people, and that one moment changes them? Maybe it's a smile or offering to pay for someone's coffee. We may not even know who they are or what they are going through, but these little things matter. And sometimes, they really matter.

I hope that encourages you today, especially as you are writing, to know that your story might seem familiar and commonplace in your own mind, but that's because you live with the characters all the time. To someone else, it might make a big difference someday. It might even change their life. So don't be discouraged when you get bad reviews or rejections from agents. Just pretend you're one of the dancers on DWTS, and remember that even the little moments of your life make a difference to those around you. :)

Oh, and here are some more pictures for those of you who might be interested:

Faith, Belief, and... Will Someone Please Write My Book Already?

Have you ever felt a struggle between faith and action? Sometimes it's so easy to believe and so hard to actually do, and other times believing in ourselves, in God's call upon our lives, is the hardest thing in the world. So how do we learn to negotiate the space in between the two?

You see people who believe whatever they say will magically poof into being. Hate to break it to you, folks, but you're not a fairy godmother. You need special fairy dust for that. I saw it on Once Upon a Time. And then you have other people who have to be doing something at all times just for that feeling of accomplishment. Like those people who clean their cars every day. I've never understood that... how will you find random dollar bills shoved between the seats years later?

Well, let's look at the story of Abraham. We're all familiar with his situation. God promises to make him the father of many nations. But years go by, and Abraham and Sarah start getting too old to have a child, so Abraham takes matters into his own hands and impregnates Sarah's servant. Clearly this is a mistake, but God still fulfills His promise by giving Abraham another child through Sarah. Seems like Abraham has failed the test, right? And in many ways he has. And yet, what does the Bible say about Abraham's faith?

Romans 4:3-5:

"What does Scripture say? 'Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness. Now when a man works, his wages are not credited to him as a gift, but as an obligation. However, to the man who does not work but trusts God who justifies the wicked, his faith is credited as righteousness."

Wow! This passages always gets me because Abraham clearly blew it, and yet, God still "credits" his faith as "righteousness" because he never gave up on the promise. What a powerful concept.

If God has placed a calling on your life to write, that calling matters. And believing in this calling begets righteousness and action. Faith should lead to fulfillment as we respond in an appropriate way to the promises God has given us.

But here's my question, and I want to hear what you all think. What does that "appropriate way" look like in reality? Sometimes it's so easy to believe we're called to write, but how do you put action to this belief, especially when tough feedback begins to roll in?

How does "faith" translate for you to actually sitting down in a chair and writing each day?