By Dr. Chrissy Whiting-Madison @joyfulgurly

There are days when you feel divinely inspired and write for hours on end, feeling like the Spirit of God Itself is flowing through your keystrokes. There are days when you have the most unimaginable writers’ block, when you spend days, weeks, or even months on end trying to decide what happens next. There are days of complete despondency, when a publisher rejects your work, or the days of joy when a publisher accepts your work. But, perhaps, the most trying days of all, are the painful ones.  The days when life happens and affects you in such a profound way that you begin to question everything—is being an author God’s plan for my life?  What am I doing? Am I going to be OK?

I recently experienced several days like these. My family and I endured what I consider a life altering crisis. My husband had spent over a week in the hospital, resulting in the loss of his career and a plethora of new health-related expenses.  He began to struggle with severe depression and other mental health issues.  I felt like my world was falling apart and spent a large chunk of every day and every night in a total state of panic. How was I going to pay our bills and support our family? What if my husband is never the same again? How is my daughter handling all of this trauma?

Writing, usually the thing to bring me joy, had become an instrument of pain. I knew what I wanted to write about, but I simply could not get my mind, heart and sprit where they needed to be. It was at that moment that I knew I needed to rely on the Lord more than I had in a long time. I had become self-assured and overly independent. I had forgotten how much I needed Him.

He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.

Isaiah 40:29 | NIV

Once I allowed God to become my co-author, the words flowed seamlessly and I wrote through my pain and sadness. Through these pages and chapters, God healed me in a profound way and gave me Truth. I became rededicated in my faith and closer to God than ever before.

I cannot encourage my fellow Christian authors enough; allow God to use your pain to write beautiful words—words that will encourage others and transform lives. Words that have the power to lead others to Christ, perhaps those that have never even considered him an option. When we are in pain, we are closest to Christ.  Make this an opportunity for Him to embrace you, heal you and, through your words and His, heal the world.

That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

2 Corinthians 12:10 | NIV

Dr. Chrissy Whiting-Madison obtained her BA in Psychology from Saint Vincent College in Latrobe, Pennsylvania, her MS in Rehabilitation Counseling from Langston University and her PhD in Rehabilitation & Research from the University of Arkansas. She is currently an Assistant Professor of Psychology at Rogers State University where she avidly researches positive psychology, happiness, humor and joy. Dr. Chrissy published her first book this past year, called Choosing Happiness. She has presented all over the United States, and is currently working on her second book, Even Happier.

When Dr. Chrissy is not teaching, reading or traveling, she loves scary movies and spending time with her friends and family. She is also a proud mom of one daughter and 6 cats.