by Katherine Hutchinson-Hayes, Ed.D. @khutch0767

For I am about to do something new. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it? I will make a pathway through the wilderness. I will create rivers in the dry wasteland (Isaiah 43:19 NLT).

I recently received news that an author opportunity I’d looked forward to being part of fell through. Struggling with defeat, I beat myself up, wondering what I could have done better. Again, I questioned if God had called me to a profession in the writing industry.

Later in the week, at a meeting, I connected with other authors battling rejection, self-doubt, and defeat. Some of us were challenged with letting go of how we envisioned God’s plan for our author careers.

Many of us wonder about this victory promised because we often deal with defeat. We’ve heard about healing from heartache, but we’re still hurting. We’ve heard about forgiveness, but bitterness from holding onto unforgiveness still plagues us. We’ve heard about freedom, but we’re held hostage in bondage to vices.

Most of us want something from God regarding our writing, but we don’t want to die to our will.

Many of us have gardens. And if we don’t have them, we’ve been blessed by their beauty. Flowers bloom and refresh us with their beauty. They attract butterflies, birds, and insects, creating a snapshot of God’s incredible creations. But how many of us know what it takes to plant a garden? Behind the scenes, there’s weeding, pruning, planting, and watering. There’s labor involved. There’s a death involved. A seed must die and be buried before it can bloom. It must surrender to become what God created it to be. And so, it is with us. For us to become all that God created us to be, we must first die and surrender so that God can manifest himself in our new growth.

The conflict is that we often haven’t surrendered. We haven’t died to ourselves.

The issue is that we don’t trust that God will do what we want to do.

We worry that God isn’t going to take us where we want to go. Did you know that God’s purpose and will for us are being worked out, lacking nothing, and it’s perfect?

But have we surrendered? Have we determined it’s better to die in God’s arms than live in ours?

Have we thrown up the white flag? Have we said yes to God and no to me?

Have we died to our dreams so God can fulfill His?

Has the renewing of our minds transformed us?

God tells us we must no longer be conformed to this world.

But can we cancel our worldly conclusion?

The good news is that God has excellent advice for those of us struggling: 

2 Peter 3:17 NLT

You already know these things, dear friends. So be on guard; then you will not be carried away by the errors of these wicked people and lose your own secure footing.

Isaiah 43:18 NIV

Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past.

Jeremiah 29:11 NIV

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

Revelation 21:5 WEB

He who sits on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” He said, “Write, for these words of God are faithful and true.”

These scriptures remind us to avoid copying the behavior and customs of this world. God’s word encourages us to allow Him to transform us into new people by changing how we think. Then we will learn to know God’s will for us, which is good and pleasing and perfect.

Here are ways to know we’re “letting go” and being transformed:

• What we do impacts others.
• Our daily decision is to die to ourselves.
• Our surrender is our worship.
• We live for God daily.
• We desire more of God and less of “me.”

Do you know what hurts the heart of God? That people He paid for don’t work for Him. We often work solely for the world. Since God paid the ultimate price for us to be free, let’s pour our gifts, wisdom, and love into God’s kingdom. Let’s strive to be unselfish in giving and receiving love through our spoken and written words.

In everything, even our dreams for our author careers, God teaches us to surrender to Him fully and–let go.

Author, speaker, educational consultant, and editor–Katherine Hutchinson-Hayes, Ed. D. has had her hand in leadership for many years. She loves speaking to groups and delivering messages with a quick wit and real-life stories. Katherine is a freelance writer/content editor, a content editor/writing coach for Iron Stream Media, and a sensitivity reader for Sensitivity Between the Lines. She is a review board member and contributor to Inkspirations (an online magazine for Christian writers), and her writing has been published in Guideposts. Her work in art/writing is distinguished by awards, including the New York Mayor’s Contribution to the Arts, Outstanding Resident Artist of Arizona, and the Foundations Awards at the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writer’s Conference (2016, 2019, 2021, 2022). She was a finalist in the Genesis Contest ACFW (American Christian Fiction Writers/Romantic Suspense 2022). She is a finalist for the Claymore Award 2022 (Thriller Division) for the best-unpublished manuscript. She is a member of Word Weavers International and serves as an online chapter president and mentor. She belongs to FWA (Florida Writers Association), ACFW (American Christian Fiction Writers), CWoC (Crime Writers of Color), AWSA (Advanced Writers and Speakers Association), and AASA (American Association of School Administrators). She serves on the board of the nonprofit organization Submersion 14 and is an art instructor and virtual exhibition specialist for the nonprofit organization Light for the Future. Katherine is the host of the podcast Murder, Mystery & Mayhem Laced with Morality. She has authored a Christian Bible study for women and is currently working on the sequel and prequel to her first general market thriller novel, “A Fifth of the Story.”