My Writing Dream and God's Plan

This is a hard post to write. Almost two years ago God started connecting some incredible dots to pull together The Pilgrim's Basket. I loved telling this story, inspired by Shannon Puljak's real-life Cypress Springs Elementary classroom in Ruston Louisiana! I felt so blessed to actually get to see and use the scrapbooks she kept from their garden service learning project. I knew God would use every bit he connected to encourage others to serve in their communities.



None of that has changed. The road to publication however, has taught me some new things. As of today, it has been 18 months since I signed a contract to publish The Pilgrim's Basket. The contract states that if the publisher does not follow through with publication by that date, the rights to the story revert back to the author. Today I am contacting the publisher with an official termination of contract notice.



It reminds me of the image of tree climbing in which you are half-way up the tree and you reach, reach, reach out onto that limb to catch the precious kitten before the branch breaks or it falls. I feel myself reach, reach, reaching out to make the publication of The Pilgrim's Basket work before it falls and is lost. What if I have the image backward? Maybe it is not lost but instead has already has done the work for which it was intended.



Perhaps this story was written for another purpose altogether. Whether it was written to show God's ability to connect amazing dots or perhaps to teach the pitfalls of the publication process, I trust that God has a purpose for this story. Today I admit that His intended final direction for the story may not have been the one I assumed. I do not however doubt that he will use it.



Today I yield my writing dream to God's hands, his molding and his plan. I have at least four other significant works in progress. I wonder what He will teach me through them? I hope I will be able to put myself to the side and learn what He is teaching me. Still, the courage to end this contract, return the scrapbooks to the sweet teacher who loaned them to me and begin the publication process again is an incredibly hard feat. Fortunately, at the feet of the Father, I know I will be able to move forward.



Ideas for the future of The Pilgrim's Basket:

Maybe I should post the story online for people to download?

I could set it up in "illustrate your own garden" story format...

I could post chapters here with photos beside each...

I could self-publish...

I could re-submit to another publisher...