Something from Nothing

Thanks for putting up with my snarkiness this past week or so. Praise the Lord, the sun shone bright and brilliant for the last few days and I'm a new person. I had no idea I was so affected by the weather... Maybe I do need to move south. Possibly Tahiti? ;)

Anyway, I have lots of news and updates, some changes in both my personal life and my writing life, but they'll have to wait just a bit. Exciting stuff, all of it, and as soon as I can spill the beans you'll be the first to know. In the meantime, I'm writing a new book. No, not the airplane one (you can read about that idea here). This is a totally new and unexpected idea. I think you're going to like it.

But as I sit before a blank sheet of paper, new pen gripped firmly in hand, I'm astounded once again at the act of creating something out of nothing. I have ideas of course (in fact, I have pretty much the entire story straight in my head), but breathing life into all these abstracts is an overwhelming endeavor. Exciting, but intimidating. Thrilling, but terrifying.

It's not just a matter of getting the characters right. Or the setting, or the plot. It's not about having a great hook or meaningful symbolism woven throughout. It's about the things you can't quantify--the cadence of the words, the sweep of the story, the unique tenor that only my voice can pitch properly. I was called to write this story, and while I'm honored beyond description, I'm equally as humbled.

We all have opportunities to create. As friends, mothers, teachers, students... fill in the blank. Part of the process of being human is being plugged into the creative energy of our God. But do we really create something from nothing? I don't think so. Only God spoke stars and mountains and people into being when before the awesome sound of his voice there was nothing.

I can't tell you how comforting that is to me. As I sit before my blank legal pads (six of them, I've found that's what it takes for me to write a book) I rest in the realization that I'm just a part of the fabric. This story is universal in some small way, it has already happened and it will happen again and again... Woven with pain and brokenness and, always, amazing grace. How cool is that? My creation is a way of adding my voice to a song already playing in round. Oh, I'm so so grateful to be a part of it.

Sing on, friends.