Today is Halloween. Although I don't celebrate it, it's always an interesting and fun day on my job because employees are allowed to dress up in costumes to commemorate the occasion. It's quite entertaining to pass them in the hallways or ride with them on the elevators and see their enthusiasm about the characters they've evolved into for the day and taking guesses about which character their fellow co-worker is portraying.
This past Saturday, I celebrated the release of my newest published work; a fictional novel entitled, Blondeva's Boys. As I was in the midst of the book release event that was attended by a hotel conference room full of avid readers and loyal supporters--some of whom have followed my career from its inception in 2002--it dawned on me that I was fifty days from turning fifty years young. What a blessing!
Although I've never celebrated Halloween in my entire life; today, I thought about how similar the holiday is to what I do on a near-daily basis. On this date each year, characters are created and people play entertaining and captivating roles. Some of the costumes depict frightening characters while others are humorous, heroic, or even romantic. As an author, I use pen and paper (or a computer screen and keyboard) to do that very same thing all throughout the year. I create an array of colorful characters and dip them into a storyline that I hope will keep readers excited, engrossed, and guessing what's going to happen next.
A lot of time has passed since I self-published my very first Christian fiction novel at the age of 35. I can still remember the feeling that engulfed me when I tore open my first box of books and held a copy of For Love & Grace in my hands. There were a lot of things that I didn't know at that time. I had no idea that debut novel of mine would become a reader sensation. I had no idea that it would go on to become an award-winning book. Not once did I consider the possibility that a Hollywood producer would contact me to talk about the possibility of turning it into a movie. I didn't even realize that the "feeling" that engulfed me on the day I opened the box was what it felt like to come in contact with divine PURPOSE.
That feeling has never departed. From that April day in 2002 until Saturday, October 29th, when I opened the shipped box of my new hot-off-the-press release; I still get that same feeling. It never gets old. It never wains, Regardless of the level of success or the number of accolades, I don't take a moment of it for granted. Without God, I am nothing, and there is absolutely nothing that compares to walking in divine purpose and knowing without a smidgen of doubt that you are fulfilling the Lord's plan for your life; that very thing for which you were created. God trusted me with a beautiful gift, and in return, I'm giving it back to Him by using it for His glory.
So yes; today is Halloween. And if anyone should need to know who I'm dressed as... I'm dressed as that almost 50 year old girl who is blessed to walk in purpose, sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ from the pulpit and from the pen... who God just allowed to release her 22nd published work.
To God be the glory...
