The writer’s conference I’ve been attending this week is full of stories, and not just the ones all of us hope to write. Each attendee comes with a life-story of her/his own, some with longer chapters than others. As I sat in the back row of the auditorium in tonight’s general session, I realized most of the 150 people there were “of retirement age.” Many, like me, were older still.
Wondering why, I settled on several reasons: (1) younger people are running faster in the rat race of life and aren’t free to attend; (2) small children keep families closer to home; (3) tight budgets prohibit spending on conferences.
But maybe being older just means there are more stories to tell. After all, we’ve witnessed hun- dreds of answered prayers, weathered lots of life-altering chal- lenges, and experienced God’s rescue again and again. As a result, we’re ready to get our stories “out there” to encourage others. But are we too old?
As we’ve been sitting through classes, meetings, and editor-interviews, we’ve learned that no matter how old we get, God always has new plans for us. Many a would-be author has “launched anew” at a writer’s conference such as this, encouraged by speakers and other writers to share what God has taught them over the years.
That’s not to say it’s easy. When editors mark up our manuscripts with red pens, it can be demoralizing. We get tempted to call it quits and spend the rest of the conference in our rooms.
But if we’re willing to accept criticism as help, and follow through on corrections, we’ve moved one step closer to doing what God wants us to do with what he’s taught us.
Many conferees are out of their comfort zones here, enduring stressful meetings with editors, eating unfamiliar foods, sleeping in stripped-down dorm rooms, and struggling to walk the long distances between buildings (several using canes). But they’re here anyway.
Most of us are getting weary now that we’re at the half way point. Our brains have been stretched, and we’re all talked out. Sleep is short, and new experiences are draining. No matter how old or tired we’ve become, though, when God supplies a new beginning, he provides the energy to complete it. Though the devil keeps whispering in our ears (“You’re too tired, too old, too non-professional…”), we have to close him off and keep going, pursuing what God is calling us to.
We may be “of retirement age,” but we’ll never retire from following God’s lead.
“My life is worth nothing to me unless I use it for finishing the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus.” (Acts 20:24)
Praising and Praying with Mary
- I thank the Lord for a slow-paced day in Michigan today.
- Please pray against my rising dread over Monday’s chemo. I get nauseous just thinking about it. Pray I’ll get better at taking one day at a time.
