by Alycia W. Morales @AlyciaMorales

For the past couple of years, my life has been pretty busy. I have five teenagers at home, and I’ve come to realize that as busy as I thought I was when they were toddlers, I’m much busier now that they are teens. And as much as I thought I was spending on diapers and formula, I’m now spending far more than that on field trips and school fees. Which means that I have had to make tough decisions between chasing my dreams and making consistent income.

And so I worked diligently as an editor for a few years. Building a business. Helping others pursue their dream as mine lay on the wayside.

When God Speaks

In the past two years, God has been teaching me about obedience. One thing that has become very clear is that the blessings He has in store for me are to be found in my obedience to His will. The second thing that has become very clear is that His will is for me to write a book.

Why else would more than a handful of different people approach me over the past two years to ask if I’ve written the book yet. Note: He didn’t have them ask, “Have you written a book?” No. He has had each and every one of them ask, “Have you written THE book?”

The Struggle Is Real

The question has become, “Which book, Lord?” I’ve started multiple books and multiple ideas for books, but none has seemed or flowed like I imagine THE book would. Because if it’s God’s idea, and we’re to take that and create something from it with the Creator of all things, then the words should flow, right?

So I’ve toyed with words for a season, with no real success.

When God Shows Up

But there comes a point when God shows up. When the idea clicks. And the setting and characters and conflict and plot points collide. Then the words begin to gather. And become sentences on the page.

And writing becomes, if at all possible, easy.

More Doubt Creeps In

But novel writing isn’t all I wish to do. There was a day when I was consistently blogging – about three years ago. And for months now, I’ve been longing to get back to that gig. Sharing my thoughts and creative ideas with the world. At least my audience.

But each time I sat at the keyboard to try to write a post, my brain froze like I’d eaten a large bit of ice cream. Nothing but the pain of speechlessness. The inability to put two sentences together.

A Mini Testimony of God’s Faithfulness

I don’t know where you, dear reader, are in your faith, but I strongly believe in prophecy. The prophetic word can be super encouraging to an individual. There’s something about when someone walks up to you and starts speaking directly to the things in your heart that only you and God know about.

So, I was at an event for creatives last weekend. And as I shake hands with the last speaker and thank him for sharing his testimony, he looks at me a little funny. Then he speaks. Straight to the fear I’ve had in my heart for at least six months now.

He tells me that I haven’t missed any time or opportunity. While I’ve been fretting over my obedience and seemingly lack thereof in my writing assignments, the Lord takes the time to have a perfect stranger tell me to stop. That I’ve been believing a lie that I haven’t done enough in the past or have missed opportunities. And that the anxiety I feel about the future is another lie. I need to live in today. Because I still have time to fulfill God’s assignment for my life.

Don’t Be Afraid of Your Words

The Lord, through the words of one faithful servant, encouraged me to stop holding back and to put my words out there. To allow what I have to say minister to others. To be obedient to the assignments He’s given me in my time here on earth. To share my testimony of what God has done in my life, of which there are many to tell.

What lie may you be believing about God’s assignment for your writing? I hope I’ve encouraged you to overcome it today. We’d love to hear from you in the comments below. And, dear writer, thanks for sharing! We need your words too.

Alycia Morales is a freelance editor and writer. Her writing has been in Thriving Family magazine, Splickety Love, and several compilation books. Her editing clients have won several awards for their manuscripts, including finalist in the Selah Award. Alycia’s first ghostwriting project, The Spirit of Hospitality by Larry Stuart, releases in December 2018.

She is also the conference manager and the blog editor for the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference.

When she isn’t busy hanging out with her writing friends, her husband, and her four children, Alycia enjoys reading, watching TV, hiking, and crafting.

Follow Alycia at her blogs, Life.Inspired. and The Write Editing. She can also be found on Instagram and Pinterest.