The Last Chapter is written!

Thanks to God’s inspiration and provision while at Delta Lake Bible Conference Center outside Rome, New York I have finally written the last chapter to my book. Stop jumping up and down! It isn’t time to celebrate completely. I still am revising the original manuscript but one thing my book has always been lacking was a last chapter…a finale…an ending…my sister.

As I listened to a couple of the presenters during the workshop I realized I’ve struggled with ending the book because the story hasn’t ended and Heidi is still missing. The following day as I listened to John Stumbo preach he talked about the book he was writing. He WAS having the same dilemma, where to end? How to end? He shared the answer to this mysterious question. I believe it was his editor that told him to finish a pivotal point that both concludes the journey included the book yet leaves it open for the journey he’s been on since. (This is of course my interpretation of his message and is not verbatim and don’t claim it 100% accurate.) God spoke to me through the presenters (again this year, thank you Jesus) and John Stumbo during the conference. God answered the prayers I had been praying while at Delta.

As I thought about it this morning and prayed in thanksgiving, a notion crossed my mind. Had God been answering my prayers but I hadn’t slowed down and quieted my heart enough to listen? I don’t know but I do know this…I’m not going to waste time contemplating if I missed the prayer earlier, I have a book to finish revising before school starts. I’ve apologized to God if He had tried to tell me earlier and thanked Him at the same time. Personally, I think this is one way Satan will try to stop someone writing for God. If I was to be hung up on “not listening” then I would miss the next message and provision. I choose to move forward ~ I’ve apologized and prayed for the heart to listen better when not in a little piece of heaven-on-earth at Delta.

My prayer today: to finish the revisions before school starts in September, for the agent and publisher God would have for me, for the siblings that will read my book to know they don’t need to live a life of pain and searching, and for my writing to touch people’s hearts and draw them to Jesus.

I haven’t transferred my chicken scratch writing onto the computer yet for the last chapter but plan to do that today. We picked up Coline, our wonderful foreign exchange student. She is so sweet and thoughtful. God planned a great three weeks for us!