I messed up my perfect streak. I missed writing my blog post in November. It totally slipped my mind. You might not realize this, but I try to write you a blog every month of the year, and for the last twenty-two months I have, but then I missed November’s post.
No more can I claim a perfect streak of writing blogs and giving you something to think about each month. I messed that up, and part of me considered throwing in the blog towel. You know, the diet’s blown so go ahead and eat the cake. I missed a month and figured I might as well give up blogging for good.
Broken Streak and Giving Up
Yeah, that may seem like an extreme, but it’s the kind of thinking we do all the time.
We take one failure and let that one thing define us. I’m really good at doing this, so much so my brain’s default is to let the bad things in and keep the good at bay. It’s a battle for me, one I face every day.
So when I screwed up my blog-writing streak, I wanted to throw up my hands, shake my head, and give up, but then I remembered something very important. I remembered you.
You
I don’t know all your names. For those who subscribe to this blog, I only know your email addresses, and some of those email addresses (clouds2kiss), keep me wondering about what your story is. But I do know you’re kindred spirits, folks on the journey, searching and hoping, longing for more. Just like me. And I want to stay in touch. It’s not about a perfect record or another tally mark, it’s a kinship—fellow travelers on a journey and that is golden.
The Best Is Yet to Come
I also remembered I’m not done yet. I know, my writing journey hasn’t been stellar. Still no bestsellers, and Book 2 in my series took a nosedive during the holidays. I didn’t get anything published this past year, but I feel it in my bones that my best writing is yet to come, and somehow I think you’re part of that.
Two Questions
So as we head into 2023, I have two questions for you, what stories do you want to hear and what stories do you have to tell?
First, what do you need? What encouragement, questions, struggles, hopes, fears and themes do you think the world needs to see? I often need to be reminded of God’s powerful presence and working in our lives. Sometimes he seems very far away, and I need to see his hand at work in the world around me. What do you need to see?
That leads me to your story. What experiences do you have? I would love to hear your stories. How are you thoroughly living and not giving up? You do have a story. Maybe it doesn’t involve novels or plays. Maybe yours flows from your jobs or your family or in the quiet space where your questions hover. But you have a story too.
Thankful for You and Starting a New Streak
I pray 2023 brings you more of life, of love, and of the grace to continue on the journey, even when you lose your streak. And I look forward to these monthly meetings and hearing from you. I also hope to write more often, but we’ll see how that goes.
For now, thank you for reading. You are a warrior too, and you are not alone.
Check out my short story “The Door” on page 41.
23/24 = 95.8%. That is an excellent average. Wow! You published 23 blog posts of engaging, thought-provoking concepts for us to consider. That is amazing! I’m so proud of you! And you do the same for me every day. Can’t wait to hear about your word for 2023!