When Jesus Takes the Wheel

Have you ever been in the middle of a project or on a career path when you felt Someone's hand on your shoulder? Maybe the hand has even taken the wheel and changed your life's direction.

That happened to me recently. At the Oregon Christian Writers Conference, I clearly felt God speaking to me through a number of voices and situations.

• Agents I respect said my pro-life agenda continues to overpower my story lines--despite the fact that I have pointedly tried to keep that from happening. (FYI, agendas are expected and fine in non-fiction writing but not so fine in fiction.)
• A highly-respected editor taught her coaching class that, in today's publishing world, authors must be entrepreneurial, meaning they must expect to market their books and to take a long-term businesslike approach to doing so. (I'm at a stage in my life where I'm looking at shorter-term projects.)
• A young woman I love and admire has found a beautiful non-controversial way to promote the sanctity of human life in her compelling non-fiction picture gift book, and she is an effective and eager marketer of her book. (Karen Wells' The Miracle of You combines Scripture passages and faith statements with endearing illustrations to promote life.)

When the voices and situations aligned, I felt (as it were) the Spirit of God whispering a commendation to me. "You have been faithful to do what you could to affirm the sanctity of human life through your stories. But I am relieving you of the burden of carrying the pro-life message. I am placing that responsibility on Karen Wells' shoulder. Your responsibility is to encourage her and to pray for her."

And so I embrace my new responsibility. It's a joy to encourage Karen and to pray for her. It's a joy to endorse her wonderful book and to point you to Karen's website www.themiracleofyou.com.

And it's a joy to head on down the road, on the passenger side, with Jesus at the wheel. I'm wondering what new adventures He has in mind for me to write about--and I'm excited!