Depise Not Small Beginnings

Don't worry. I won't make this post nearly as long as some of the others. It actually too me two days to write one of them. Of course, I didn't sit there for two days straight typing but with all the hustle and bustle and book promotion, I kept getting interrupted. Thank God this program auto saves your work for you. I can't imagine having to start all over again every time I was pulled away from my computer. If any new bloggers out there in "Blogger World" are reading this, here's a useful tip for you: If you know you are too busy to sit and jot down all of your thoughts in one sitting but you still want to blog, you can always begin and come back as often as you need to until you are able to finish.

In my time of being disrupted, I was able to meditate on the Word God had given me just a little bit longer. So I thank Him for the distractions, after all - "all things work together to the good to them that love God" (Romans 8:28) .

Anyway, I want to talk a little bit about "small beginnings" today. As people - more specifically American people, we like numbers. Whenever we want to evaluate our progress or our regressions, we often like to find a numeral value to rate our achievements. I too, found myself trying to find a numerical value on the success on how well I was walking in the direction that the Lord has been pulling me in. As most of you know, I recently published my debut novel, By His Stripes We Are Healed and sales haven't been going as well as I had planned. You see, I thought all there was to being an author was simply writing a good book and waiting for people to knock my door down to buy it. Well I have to tell you he truth, it doesn't work that way all the time.

Let me back up a minute and tell you that I didn't just up and write a book one day because I wanted to. I was commissioned to write this book. God would not let me have peace about it until I shared the message that He had given me. Anyway, I published the book and sales were really slow at first. I didn't even think I would recoup the money I spent on editing, marketing and publishing. Then all of a sudden, a few ladies that loved to read and loved to talk even more read my book and my phone was ringing off the hook. I wasn't complaining. I was packing up books, delivering books, dropping them off - whatever it took. But after a couple hundred copies, I felt everyone I knew and everyone they knew had already read my book. Then I began to persue book signings.

My first book signing was at a conference. there may have been 100 people at this particular conference. I only sold 3 books. I was devastated. I felt defeated and ultimately I felt like because I sold so few books that I was now stagnant and no longer making and progress. I thought of quiting and just writing blogs to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The next day as I was on my way home, I heared the Lord tell me "Despise not small beginnings". Hearing that quickened my spirit and gave me the determination to continue to do that which He called me to do. I am sharing this with you to tell you that no matter how bleak the situation may look or how much you may feel like you are not progressing as long as you are doing that which God has called you to do - you cannotfail.

Someone, somewhere is beginning to grow tired and feeling like it is all in vain but it isn't. The relatives that we have been praying for will be saved. Our finances are increasing and all that we prayed for and asked for (that's in the will of God) will come to pass. Are you feeling discouraged in some area of your life? Are you beginning to wonder if it is all worth it. If so, I encourage you to look to the hills from which your help comes. If not, I encourage you to stay encouraged.

Shanita Waters
By His Stripes We Are Healed, author www.waterplantgrowth.com