How I Happened to Write a Book, and Why I Had to Get Divorced to Do So

One of the good things to come out of my divorce was the opportunity to do something I have always wanted to do, but never got around to doing. 

I wrote a book.

It hasn't been published yet, or even submitted to an agent or publisher, even though I finished writing it several months ago.  I'm working on that, but fear is getting in the way. 

What is there to be afraid of when submitting a manuscript?  Rejection with a capital R.  You might pray about that, because if I never submit it, I will never know if it will be rejected.

In the meantime, let me tell you the story of how this book came to be written and you will see why I had to get divorced to write it. 

About a year ago, I called my attorney for advice on a situation.  She started our phone call with some words that were music to my ear:  "Before we go on the clock..."  Oooh, goody, a conversation with this amazingly intelligent person that I don't have to pay for!  She then told me that she might be leaving her practice of law to write a book.  Not so good, in my mind.

However, she continued, lately when she thought about the book, a devotional book for Christians who were going through a divorce, my name kept coming up.  First, she somehow dreamed about me in connection with the book.  Then shortly after that, while telling a friend about it, the friend brought up the fact that she had just discovered that I was one of my attorney's clients who had been in that situation.   Finally, when she walked into the office that day, she had discovered that I was on her calendar for a phone appointment, even though she hadn't heard from me in months.

She wasn't sure why she was supposed to tell me about the book, and speculated that maybe I was supposed to be part of her prayer support or even offer her some ideas about what it's like to go through a divorce.  However, she knew beyond the shadow of a doubt that she was supposed to tell me.

I instantly knew that this was a God-thing.  To be sure, I asked her if she knew my academic background.  She didn't. 

I happen to have an MA in English.  My emphasis was on teaching English as a second or foreign language, but while earning that degree, I taught freshman comp.  I also had been teaching various writing classes at our homeschool enrichment group.  And I had written for a website that no longer exists.  I love to write.  I also don't mind editing, so my first suggestion was that maybe I was supposed to help edit the book.

We agreed to pray about it, and then we went on the clock and discussed the issue I had called her about.

When I got off the phone, the book started writing itself in my head.  Oh, how I longed to be the one to write that book, but this was my attorney's project, so I began to pray that God would show me my boundaries and enable me to stay within them.  I have a tendency to take over on group efforts, so I knew I needed prayer.

A few weeks later, I talked to my attorney again.  Much to my surprise, she informed me that she had been praying about the book, and she now knew that I was to write the book.  Her job was merely to be the messenger to tell me to write it.

So I wrote the book.

Now to gather my courage and submit the book.  Please pray for me!