It’s not that good, but…
Have you ever been in a creative writing class where everyone had to take a turn sharing a piece they had written? Inevitably at least one person will stand up, shyly fumble with his paper before he begins, and in an effort to downplay his work, say, “Well, it’s not that good, but…”
And right there is our deepest fear in sharing our work.
Our Deepest Fear
It’s not that good.
And if it’s not that good, then I’m not that good.
Our writing is not so much a reflection of who we are, as a piece of ourselves we are giving to the world.
This isn’t to be taken lightly.
Writing is hard.
I mean, it’s really hard. If you are a writer, I hope you are giving yourself credit for how difficult it is to write.
There is nothing to writing. All you do is sit down at a typewriter and bleed.
–Earnest Hemingway
Then I hope you are giving yourself credit for how much harder still it is to share your writing with other people.
God Equips the Called
Lest you think writers are poor souls sitting in rooms drained of all life, the good news is that God does not leave us in this state.
God does not call the equipped, but He equips the called.
When God calls you to share your words with the world, He will provide you with the means as well as the emotional strength to get through the journey. 
Still Standing
Friends, I chose today to share this because behind the scenes I have been diligently working on the series I will launch in October called Still Standing.
I have to tell you, God and I have been in a bit of a wrestling match about this series.
Every year I write a series for the write31days.com writing challenge, which is to choose one topic and blog about it every single day for the month of October.
I encourage you to check out the website and see some of the amazing blogs. My previous series were Faithful Fitness and The Hope Toolbox: Hope for Depression and Sadness.
God has been gently nudging me to write the Still Standing series, and I’ve been pulling in the opposite direction.
Still Standing: How to Find Hope…When You Don’t Get the Happy Ending is a series about one summer of caring for our sons we adopted who have mental health issues and behavior needs.
Along with our story, included will be Bible verses and creative journaling pages so you can follow along and spend time in God’s word writing and praying about your own faith experience.
May I be honest with you? On more than one occasion my heart has been pounding as my fingers hover over the keyboard. I’ve almost hit delete a number of times.
There were several posts that I almost left out because they feel too…real.
And I felt God nudging me to say, “Leave that there. Other people need to see that you went through it, and they are not alone in their experience.”
So, here it is. I’m humbled and excited for what God has planned for these words.
You, my dear readers are important in this. You have always been kind to me and with my words. You read and share and encourage. I know you will treat these words with the utmost respect. In advance, I thank you.
Click here to read a section of the first post in the Still Standing series.
Have you ever been afraid to share your writing?
Still Standing: The Series
October 1- Still Standing
October 2- When You See a Major Problem Coming
October 3- The Downward Spiral of My Son’s Behavior
October 4- How Do I Talk to My Adopted Kids About Their Birth Family?
October 5- The Day We Told Our Son Who Is Adopted About His Past
October 6- I Called the Police for My Own Son…and I’m a Good Mom
October 7- The Worst Father’s Day…Except It Wasn’t
October 8- What It’s Like When Your Child Goes to the Hospital for Mental Health Care
October 9- What It’s Like When Your Child is Inpatient for Mental Health Treatment
October 10- What Visits Are Like When Your Child Gets Inpatient Mental Health Treatment
October 11- What Life is Like When Your Child Has Mental Health Issues
October 12- When Grief and Hope Come in Waves
October 13- When a New Start is Scary
October 14- When You Beg God for a Miracle
October 15- Tough Vacation Decisions for Kids with Special Needs
October 16- When Kids Take Medication for Behavior
October 17- Water Balloon Therapy
October 18- When You are Humbled
October 19- He Goes to the Park
October 20- How to Measure Progress in Tough Situations
October 21- When My Child Cries for His Birth Mom
October 22- The Two Equally Important Jobs of Every Parent
October 23- How to Shift Conversations with Tough Kids
October 24- What to Do When Your Kids Often Lie to You
October 25- Dodge and Weave
October 26- When the Life Has Been Sucked Out of You
October 27- What Your Kids Deserve
October 28- Morning, Bedtime, and Other Routines for Kids with Trauma History
October 29- To the Mom of Special Needs Kids Who Feels Sibling Guilt
October 30- I’m the Most Stubborn
October 31- Watching Miracles Unfold
November 1- How to Find Peace…Without the Happy Ending (Epilogue)
I am looking forward to reading your series. I know how much courage it has taken to put pen to all of those tough days, tougher experiences. May the Lord continue to give you His strength for each day. Miss you bunches, Sara!
Thank you, Janet, for your ongoing support and encouragement. I miss living near you, but so thankful we can continue to keep in touch.