Don’t let small repercussions turn into an emotional fire.

“There are always repercussions,” as the old saying goes. Couple it with another saying “no good deed goes unpunished,” and they capture exactly what always happens to me.  Whenever I write a blog or article that’s instructional, I find myself stumbling over my own words. 

Recently I wrote about procrastination for a guest blog. For two days after it came out, I struggled to get motivated. Procrastination hit hard.  The interview questions I answered for a friend’s blog explaining how I organized my time created disorganization once it appeared on the web. My magazine article on researching a novel came back to haunt me. The critique from the judge in a writer’s contest told me the fictitious towns in my novel were located in the wrong area of Texas. Further research revealed my contrived names actually existed and needed to be changed.

I think God always tests me. He wants to keep me humble.  Pride doesn’t stay too long in my character when I trip over the very things I encourage other writers to avoid. Humility reigns when others asked for my advice or encouragement. God’s willingness to show me what I do that helps others is such a blessing. Otherwise these faux-pas would push me off the writing path altogether. Flaming sparks of embarrassment into an inferno of discouragement.

These repercussions often give me new insights into myself. The emotional rollercoaster of a writing career seems never to have an end. Each new challenge brings me once again to the feet of Jesus. My conversations with him empty my heart of so much trash. His encouragement and peace help me step out once again. My mind refocuses on the next writing project, piece of research or writing blog. Every word I write may bring me one step closer to making an impact for the kingdom.

What repercussions have you faced on your writing journey? How do you handle them?

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