Motivaton

I have chills right now - and it's not from the cold. If I ever needed motivation for anything, I just got it, from an unexpected person. I will not go into detail to protect the person's privacy but our devotions today were about personal "hurricanes." And someone shared theirs in such an open, honest and beautiful way. Ironically, it put everything into perspective for me. Yeah, that sounds selfish but it isn't. It was a kind of 2x4 from God, saying, "Wake up, girl! This is what you need to think about and to write about." I found my voice; I don't mean in the traditional writing way. I mean that what I want and need to have entertwined in my stories is the human condition. Even if it's a totally off-the-wall setting or situation, the underlying theme needs to be something to do with everyday feelings, emotions and, ultimately, how we have separated ourselves from God - bringing us to our current meager existance.

That's who Ellen is. She is the example, extreme I'll agree, but nevertheless the perfect example of our separation from God and our desire to find our way back to him. It's going to take work to get her there; but she can be saved just as easily and we can be. And my personal faith needs to be a part of her character. It is what I know the most about - how someone doesn't know Him but knows He exists. But, personally, I think I kind of stopped when I found out who He was. I haven't kept up my relationship in the way that He, or I, would like. Today's devotion convicted me deeply of that; and how I need to take it easy on my friends 'cause though I don't see my friends in the way that was discussed, they are still my friends. It might just take me opening my eyes to see that.

So now that I know why I haven't been able to let go of this story or this character, I better get back to it, huh? :-)