Someday is Now
By: Renee Swope
[{'base': u'', 'type': 'text/html', 'value': u'By Marybeth Whalen
There have been several surreal moments along the way to publishing my first novel.
I shared it with an author I respected and got tongue tied. There was the day I paused outside a Barnes and Noble with my publisher as she wrapped her arm around me and told me that a year from that moment my book would be on its shelves. Then, I received endorsements from other authors and realized they had actually read it, and had to shrug off the urge to throw up. I discussed my novel with my husband in detail after he read it, and reveled in all his questions. Then, I heard about the marketing campaign on a conference call with public relations professionals.
The truth is, I am not a person who does such things. I prefer my jammies to most any other article of clothing. I like hiding out at home and typing thoughts into my computer \u2026 but am not sure those thoughts should be displayed for others to read. I dreamed of being a novelist all my life, but really doing it? That seemed like a dream for someone else. At any rate, a dream for someday and not now. I hid behind the safety of \u201csomeday\u201d for a long time. The word \u201csomeday\u201d was a promise I didn\u2019t have to fulfill, a risk I didn\u2019t have to take \u2026 yet. I could put it off for as long as I wanted, yet still hold on to my dream.
I would have hidden behind \u201csomeday\u201d for the rest of my life if not for God sending someone into my life who stopped letting me hide. One by one, she plucked out all the excuses I had to offer and urged me towards \u201cnow\u201d instead of \u201csomeday.\u201d She held me accountable. She accepted no substitutes. She urged me forward and didn\u2019t let me languish on the corner of Self Pity and Apathy. She was my friend while being my taskmaster - continually refocusing my vision on the end result, admonishing me to keep my eye on the prize, even when I doubted a prize awaited.
When I met my friend Ariel, she was already pursuing the dream of becoming a novelist. She had done the hard work of writing a novel and was looking for a publisher, while I was afraid to write the first word.
Doubts and questions plagued me. What if my efforts were wasted? What if I failed? I would rather not try at all, than fail and admit my dream was out of reach. And yet, if I never tried I would never know. How could I bear to live in dream limbo, Ariel wanted to know? Just do it, she urged me. \u201cIf I can, you can,\u201d was her refrain. When I look back, I see how much I needed her prodding, her unrelenting pep talks. It was the difference between someday and now.
My first novel, \u201cThe Mailbox,\u201d is based on a real mailbox that sits on a desolate stretch of North Carolina beach. People come from all over the world to write notes to the Kindred Spirit and leave them inside the mailbox. It is a place that houses people\u2019s dreams \u2026 words they hold close to their hearts and keep secret, sharing with no one else. It is fitting my novel centers around a place where people share their dreams, many for the first time. And yet, if they only leave them there and do nothing else, how far will that take them?
Do you have a dream you\u2019ve been holding on to, keeping safe? Have you been hiding behind \u201csomeday?\u201d Can I be an Ariel voice in your ear today? Stop putting off your dreams. Take just one step toward the passion God has placed in your heart. If you don\u2019t know what that is, seek Him and let Him tell you. Listen to those things that make your heart beat faster. I believe God has called us all to live passionate, purpose-filled lives.
I believe He has an extraordinary plan for each of us. Your plan may not include writing a novel, but it might include leading worship, running a marathon, discovering something new, creating something beautiful. Whatever it is, don\u2019t put it off. You don\u2019t have to plunge headlong into it all at once. A small step every day is better than no step at all.
Someday is safe. There is no doubt about that. But someday is also boring. I am grateful God sent someone into my life who stopped letting me hide behind someday and whispered \u201cNow.\u201d An exciting adventure waited within that three letter word.
Marybeth Whalen is the wife of Curt and mom of six children. They live outside Charlotte, North Carolina. Marybeth is a member of the Proverbs 31 Ministries speaker team and a regular contributor to their daily devotions, reaching over 350,000 people daily. She served as general editor of \u201cFor The Write Reason\u201d and \u201cThe Reason We Speak.\u201d She and her husband Curt co-authored \u201cLearning To Live Financially Free\u201d and her first novel, \u201cThe Mailbox\u201d will be released in June 2010. Additionally, she serves as director of She Reads, Proverbs 31 Ministries\u2019 fiction division. Marybeth speaks regularly to women\u2019s groups and enjoys sharing stories from her daily adventures as a wife, mom, writer and, most importantly, a follower of God. You can find her online at www.marybethwhalen.com.
Please see the back page to order Marybeth\u2019s latest book, \u201cThe Mailbox.\u201d', 'language': None}]
There have been several surreal moments along the way to publishing my first novel.
I shared it with an author I respected and got tongue tied. There was the day I paused outside a Barnes and Noble with my publisher as she wrapped her arm around me and told me that a year from that moment my book would be on its shelves. Then, I received endorsements from other authors and realized they had actually read it, and had to shrug off the urge to throw up. I discussed my novel with my husband in detail after he read it, and reveled in all his questions. Then, I heard about the marketing campaign on a conference call with public relations professionals.
The truth is, I am not a person who does such things. I prefer my jammies to most any other article of clothing. I like hiding out at home and typing thoughts into my computer \u2026 but am not sure those thoughts should be displayed for others to read. I dreamed of being a novelist all my life, but really doing it? That seemed like a dream for someone else. At any rate, a dream for someday and not now. I hid behind the safety of \u201csomeday\u201d for a long time. The word \u201csomeday\u201d was a promise I didn\u2019t have to fulfill, a risk I didn\u2019t have to take \u2026 yet. I could put it off for as long as I wanted, yet still hold on to my dream.
I would have hidden behind \u201csomeday\u201d for the rest of my life if not for God sending someone into my life who stopped letting me hide. One by one, she plucked out all the excuses I had to offer and urged me towards \u201cnow\u201d instead of \u201csomeday.\u201d She held me accountable. She accepted no substitutes. She urged me forward and didn\u2019t let me languish on the corner of Self Pity and Apathy. She was my friend while being my taskmaster - continually refocusing my vision on the end result, admonishing me to keep my eye on the prize, even when I doubted a prize awaited.
When I met my friend Ariel, she was already pursuing the dream of becoming a novelist. She had done the hard work of writing a novel and was looking for a publisher, while I was afraid to write the first word.
Doubts and questions plagued me. What if my efforts were wasted? What if I failed? I would rather not try at all, than fail and admit my dream was out of reach. And yet, if I never tried I would never know. How could I bear to live in dream limbo, Ariel wanted to know? Just do it, she urged me. \u201cIf I can, you can,\u201d was her refrain. When I look back, I see how much I needed her prodding, her unrelenting pep talks. It was the difference between someday and now.
My first novel, \u201cThe Mailbox,\u201d is based on a real mailbox that sits on a desolate stretch of North Carolina beach. People come from all over the world to write notes to the Kindred Spirit and leave them inside the mailbox. It is a place that houses people\u2019s dreams \u2026 words they hold close to their hearts and keep secret, sharing with no one else. It is fitting my novel centers around a place where people share their dreams, many for the first time. And yet, if they only leave them there and do nothing else, how far will that take them?
Do you have a dream you\u2019ve been holding on to, keeping safe? Have you been hiding behind \u201csomeday?\u201d Can I be an Ariel voice in your ear today? Stop putting off your dreams. Take just one step toward the passion God has placed in your heart. If you don\u2019t know what that is, seek Him and let Him tell you. Listen to those things that make your heart beat faster. I believe God has called us all to live passionate, purpose-filled lives.
I believe He has an extraordinary plan for each of us. Your plan may not include writing a novel, but it might include leading worship, running a marathon, discovering something new, creating something beautiful. Whatever it is, don\u2019t put it off. You don\u2019t have to plunge headlong into it all at once. A small step every day is better than no step at all.
Someday is safe. There is no doubt about that. But someday is also boring. I am grateful God sent someone into my life who stopped letting me hide behind someday and whispered \u201cNow.\u201d An exciting adventure waited within that three letter word.
Marybeth Whalen is the wife of Curt and mom of six children. They live outside Charlotte, North Carolina. Marybeth is a member of the Proverbs 31 Ministries speaker team and a regular contributor to their daily devotions, reaching over 350,000 people daily. She served as general editor of \u201cFor The Write Reason\u201d and \u201cThe Reason We Speak.\u201d She and her husband Curt co-authored \u201cLearning To Live Financially Free\u201d and her first novel, \u201cThe Mailbox\u201d will be released in June 2010. Additionally, she serves as director of She Reads, Proverbs 31 Ministries\u2019 fiction division. Marybeth speaks regularly to women\u2019s groups and enjoys sharing stories from her daily adventures as a wife, mom, writer and, most importantly, a follower of God. You can find her online at www.marybethwhalen.com.
Please see the back page to order Marybeth\u2019s latest book, \u201cThe Mailbox.\u201d', 'language': None}]
About the Author
{'href': u'http://www.blogger.com/profile/04258797591709109230', 'name': u'Renee Swope', 'email': u'renee@proverbs31.org'}