Four weeks ago, I sat in an auditorium listening to and singing the song The Stand. The place was packed with standing room only while 125 college students graduated and their parents, families, and friends watched. My heart flowed and overflowed with gratitude that my son had the opportunity to go to that school for the year. Little did I know that my world would come crashing down on me just six hours later. I wrote about it later that weekend.

It’s Okay to Cry

Thanks to Booktrope, I was able to publish my first books.

After hearing that my future was gone, I cried. I cried my heart out. It was a loss; I grieved. A year ago, I had been handed an amazing platform and opportunity to share my stories with the world. It was something I would not have done without the encouragement and help of others. Now, that help was being taken out from underneath me. It’s a rather heady feeling to see your book on a library shelf, to know you are a published author. I also grieved the loss of opportunity. How could I continue writing and helping pre-teens and teens without a publisher? That weekend, I watched as different authors grieved in their own ways–from ranting and raving, to eating chocolate or ice cream.

We all have our own way of coping with stress and loss. My first response is crying. I believe that it will help.

Realize You’re Not Alone

One of the worse things about troubling times is that we feel all alone. Just talk to any teenager who has lost a best friend or broken up with a girlfriend or boyfriend. It is the end of the world! No one else has ever been there. As adults, though, we feel the same way. We tend to hide behind a mask walking around as if everything is okay, instead of being open and honest about how we feel. When we open up, we may find we’re not the only one in pain.

“It’s like in the great stories, Mr. Frodo. The ones that really mattered. Full of darkness and danger they were. And sometimes you didn’t want to know the end… because how could the end be happy? How could the world go back to the way it was when so much bad had happened? But in the end, it’s only a passing thing… this shadow. Even darkness must pass.”
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Two Towers

Everyone has a shadow they must walk through. Just last week, on top of the hectic push to get all four of my books republished and figuring out this whole business of self-publishing, my shoulder began to flare up. A year and a half ago I had my right shoulder freeze up on me. The pain was excruciating. After four months, we were able to get it diagnosed as not only frozen shoulder but also a partially torn rotator cuff. This new flare up had me scared. I was ready to be irritable and begin complaining about the low grade pain. I went to church and saw a friend. Her eyes weren’t as alive as normal. I asked what was wrong and found she was having shoulder pain. However, her issue was worse than mine. She couldn’t move her arm! I sat and nodded as I understood exactly what she was talking about. I was able to give her some helpful advice, and the rest of the week, any time I wanted to complain about my shoulder, I thought of and prayed for my friend.

Be Humble

Humble Pie isn’t as tasty as this piece looks.

That experience last week, definitely gave me a bite of humble pie. I had to realize not only was I not alone, but my issues were not as big as others. This type of humility can lead to teach-ability. When the fairy tale turns dark, it’s because there is someone who cares who wants to help you through it. In The One Who Sees Me this person is called The Existing One. In my current work in progress, an Ancient Egypt story, he is called The One Who Is. You see, I believe there is a Creator who has your best interests at heart. He’ll help us through life’s ups and downs, and wants to teach us things. When we are humble, He can teach us what we need to learn.

It isn’t always just about us though. Sometimes, God wants to teach others through us! This can be the worst feeling. We have to go through the tough time so someone else can watch and learn. That also takes humility and surrender.

Trust God

A month ago as I stood singing The Stand, tears flowed freely down my face. They were in gratitude to the One who created it all. I had a full heart of thanksgiving. Yesterday at church, we sang The Stand. As I stood this time, again tears fell from my eyes and traced their way down my cheeks. These tears were tears of trust.

I’ll stand
With arms high and heart abandoned
In awe of the one who gave it all
I’ll stand
My soul Lord to you surrendered
All I am is yours
~Joel Houston

Trust is one of those interesting things. It’s a conscious decision to let someone else take control. According to Google, it’s a “firm belief in the reliability, truth, ability, or strength of someone or something“. How does it work? The best I can say is to share a story of friend. He was going through a tough time. His wife had just had their fourth child, but some complications came up. She was incapable of taking care of any of their children. They moved back to the family property so his mother could help out. He didn’t have a job and wondered what was up. At the same time, he was reading one of my favorite books by Timothy Zahn, The Icarus Hunt. It’s a spaceship based who done it with many intricate plot twists. As my friend read, he often wondered what was going to happen. He was on the edge of his seat. There were times when he wondered if everything was really going to turn out okay. It was then that he paused. My friend personally knows Mr. Zahn. So, my friend said, “I know Tim would not write something that I couldn’t handle. I can trust that he’ll make everything right at the end.” That is the true definition of trust.

We, too, can trust. If we have a personal relationship with the Creator God, we can know He has our best interests at heart. He’ll write a happily ever after. It might not be in this lifetime, but it will come.

You see, our fairy tale doesn’t end here on earth. It goes on through eternity.

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What are you struggling with? If you feel comfortable sharing, I’d welcome your comments. Or, fill in the prayer request form:

Why God is kind:

It finally makes some sense. So I have been thinking about God, and his characteristics, and there are people that only want to dwell on a god that is loving, kind, and forgiving. Then they do not think about God’s power, his justice, his wrath, and his holiness. However that part of him was the only part I understood. God’s loving kindness, and his forgiveness did not make sense. Why would he come down from his throne, and give his son to die so that we could be saved? It almost sounded stupid for me, but He was God and did not need to be questioned. But God finally revealed the answer to me in a way that I could understand it.

When god created us, it was like the parallel of a master smith forging a sword. He made, and shaped us the way he wanted us to be. When he was done, he stepped back and saw that it was perfect. But each time we sin, that is like the sword fell into the beach, and splashed around in the surf. It is fun when we do it, BUT, the thing we don’t always notice is that there is salt in the air and water. It burns the metal, and corrodes and eats away who the master smith made us to be. Soon we are covered in rust. Then when the master smith saw what his creation was doing, instead of destroying it and creating a better one; he gave us the opportunity to correct us. He will erase the rust that formed, and he will grind out the pits that formed. but it is not easy on the sword. The sword needs to be willing as well. However, when the sword constantly plays in the surf, then the more damage it causes to itself.

God calls us to be perfect, but we are not. However it is best if we stay out of the surf. He will not destroy us because we sin, but he will correct us in his own way.

God uses the people who have sinned to show his glory.

Encouragement for rough times:

If you are going through a rough time, remember: A sword needs to be sharpened so it is useful to the one who wields it. If you are struggling because of something in your childhood, remember: A sword was heated so it could be forged to designated design.

When you are having a hard time, remember: God has forged you perfectly, and he is sharpening you so that you will be perfect in his hands.

God and Satan as warriors:

Going with the sword analogy;
God, and Satan are warriors.
Most times Satan uses the best swords to fight against god, because they are strong, big, and easy to use, (these people are the big people: Hollywood stars, music artists, Atheists, and the other great minds), and they cut deep into the ones who are blind to the truth.

However god uses the small and rusted, and broken knives and daggers, to defeat Satan. (these ones are the small everyday people who live life, struggling just to have enough faith so that they can make it one more day without being discouraged and walk away from the one who made them), On their own they are practically useless. They are not sharp. They are coated with rust, and the pits in the metal are not pleasing to the eye.

But God picks them up and Fights off Satan with them: PROVING THAT IT IS NOT YOUR ABILITY, BUT IT IS YOUR AVAILABILITY, THAT GOD USES FOR HIS GLORY!!!

The Angel and Revenge:

There once was a angel who fell for a trap. “I wish to be like God,” He said, but he was not strong enough to defeat Him. God had to punish the angel for his weakness, so He cast the angel and his followers from his presence. God then, in his patience and kindness, let the angel to walk on the earth that He created, instead of destroying him out right. However he was to be punished for his rebellion as all traitors that lose. God gave the angel a gracious amount of time, then when that time runs out God will cast the fallen angel into the “lake of fire”, or other wise known as hell, which He created specifically for the ones that rose up against him: The fallen angels and their leader. Then the fallen angel, taking advantage of God’s mercy, found God’s most precious creation, the human female and told her a lie. “If you disobey God then you will become like him,” He said knowing that this was the very thing he had wanted. Then the human was taken by her own desire, and it took the final step and shattered the only law its creator had given to it, because the fallen angel had given it a doubt and a reason. The fallen angel smiled. “My job is done” he thought. for he knew what he had done. He had taught his enemy’s most precious creation to disobey. That lesson would never be corrected unless God himself desired to remake the thing he had just created. He had marred his enemy’s most precious creation; the perfect revenge. Thus was his hate toward God. ” As long as I am here, I will take as much of his creation with me into the place He has made for me. It will be his fault when his creation leave him, and He will have no choice but to either change his rules, set me free from my punishment, or watch for an eternity as they burn with me. ” A shiver when through his spine. He feared that punishment, and he hated God all the more for not telling him how long he had before then. God then looked upon the fallen angel. and gave the word. ” You will lose every fight with me and you will be bound by what I say and you will not stray from my plans. If you wish to do anything you will need to come to me and beg for it. Your legs now belong to me.” and thus the fallen angel hated God’s creation, for God gave them a second chance, but yet he received none. “I WILL MAKE GOD DESTROY AS MANY OF HIS CREATION AS I CAN!” the fallen angel hissed, and he left the garden.

About the author:
Robin Wyatt, the 18-year-old son of Kandi J Wyatt, is studying Bible at Ecola Bible School. When he’s not in college, he enjoys anime, fire dancing, and swords. He has a large collection of knives and swords which he makes sure stay in pristine condition by rubbing out rust and using orange oil to protect and shine them. He just finished his first draft of an epic fantasy which filled 508 college ruled pages handwritten with his favorite Ticonderoga pencils.

Today, I didn’t write. Instead I took in the wisdom of other writers at the Oregon Christian Writers’ one day conference. It was a day of reflecting on what I want my writing to say. I was encouraged to be see-through as an author. To let others see who I really am. I was given some steps to make compelling characters which I will use to round out my eighth graders and the professor in my current work. I was given some thought provoking advice on writing and being an author. Rachelle Carter of Ellechor shared how success seems to involve accolades, money, deserved or earned privileges, and only a few get there. In reality, it isn’t about what awards your story earns, but what impact does it have? Did it make someone’s day? Did it encourage someone? Did it bring joy to a young person? If you can say yes, then your story has had success. A successful story isn’t earned, it is all really by grace. Our stories are given to us. It’s a choice of how we choose to share it. You see everyone has a story. It is your story. You are the only one who can tell it. Will you?

You see our hearts are an empty page. We can let the author of life write His story on our hearts. Will you let Him?

I finished my day at a concert. The first song sung made me think of those accolades mentioned earlier. The words said, “I don’t need my name in lights,I’m famous in my Father’s eyes. Make no mistake He knows my name. I’m not living for applause, I’m already so adored.” What is your reason for writing? Is it to gain acclaim or are you content knowing God knows your name? He calls you to be His child. What story do you have? Will you tell it so others can learn and grow and change? I know I’ve been challenged today to tell the stories inside of me not for the praise of people, but so people will be strengthened.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=eKcImiTxqKg

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=haLkLDfLBok

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ZuJWQzjfU3o