One Thing after Another by Martin Wiles

One Thing after Another

by Martin Wiles

“I have worked hard and long, enduring many sleepless nights. I have been hungry and thirsty and have often gone without food. I have shivered in the cold, without enough clothing to keep me warm”

(2 Corinthians 11:27, NLT).

My wife called to inform me the garbage disposal had broken. The next day, she let me know that the water had not drained from the dishwasher. Good reason. The dishwasher drains through the garbage disposal. The day after that, the commodes gurgled when the washing machine reached the spin cycle. Then the microwave broke. These breakdowns were preceded by the news that our landlady planned to sell our unit.

Compared to Paul’s one-thing-after-another list in 2 Corinthians, mine seemed tame. But struggle always feels intense while facing a series of disappointments or trials.

As writers we are not immune to one-thing-after-another-episodes. Many of us do not write full-time, so numerous things often interrupt our writing schedules—or even prevent them from happening. We may have a full-time job that keeps us busy for many hours each day. Perhaps our kids are involved in sports, which means picking them up from practices and taking them to games. Some of us may even be caregiving for elderly family members, as my wife and I have been doing for the last two years. All of these and more one-thing-after-anothers can squeeze out the time we need and want to write.

So what’s a writer, to do? There is no one-size-fits-all solution. We do know that God has called us to write, so he can provide the wisdom each of us needs to maneuver our unique situations. For some, that may mean writing early in the morning, before our daily responsibilities begin. For others, the midnight oil works better. Many writers grab minutes while their kids are busy practicing for sports or napping.

Schedules challenge us all. We can’t make more than twenty-four hours in our days. Trying to eat healthily, sleep enough, and exercise regularly while keeping up with other daily demands can be taxing. The key is learning to be better stewards of each day we’ve been given. When we are serious about this call to write, we, will seek God’s help to find the time and space in our days to get those words down.

When one thing after another hits your life, trust God for the wisdom to know how to carry on with your writing. He won’t let you down.

Father, you are our guiding light. We will trust you to help us find time to write, regardless of our circumstances.

Martin Wiles is an author, pastor, English teacher, and freelance editor who resides in Greenwood, South Carolina. He is the Managing Editor for Christian Devotions and for VineWords: Devotions and More. He is the founder/editor of the internationally recognized devotion site, Love Lines from God (www.lovelinesfromgod.com). He is an instructor for the PEN (Professional Editors Network) Institute and a monthly contributor to The Write Conversation (www.thewriteconversation.com). He and his wife are the parents of two and the grandparents of seven.