God's Other Plans For My Break

Early last month, I "completed" the first draft of my book, A Pressing Emergency. It wasn't organized, polished, or anywhere near ready for publication, but I was proud of myself for finally having something written down.

After spending so much time writing, editing, and staring at the same Word document, I made a decision: I was going to take a six-to-eight-week break from the manuscript. I was tired. I needed distance from the story. I wanted to focus on other things for a while.

As Proverbs 16:9 says, "A man's heart plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps."

That verse became very real for me.

I was completely set on taking a break, but God apparently had a different timeline. Even while I was trying to step away from the manuscript, thoughts about the book continued to flood my mind. It didn't matter where I was—at work, at the gym, at home, or running errands. Ideas would come. Scenes would emerge. Thoughts about revisions would appear out of nowhere. The more I tried to rest from the project, the more I felt the Lord nudging me back toward it.

There seemed to be an urgency surrounding this book that I couldn't ignore.

The interesting thing is that I wasn't trying to be disobedient. I simply needed a break. I loved the story, but I was exhausted from looking at it. My spirit was willing to write, but my flesh was tired.

Still, I had plans for my break.

I wanted to spend more time with family and friends. I wanted to work out consistently, attend local events, network, read my Bible, enjoy some speculative fiction, and write devotionals. I intended to keep writing—just not in the manuscript.

One of those plans involved attending a symposium and a seminar. During one of those events, several organizations had tables set up. For some reason, I felt drawn to a table for the Dominican Writers Association.

The moment I began speaking with the Executive Director, I sensed the Holy Spirit moving during our conversation. It wasn't anything dramatic. It was simply one of those moments when you know God is doing something behind the scenes.

For months, I had been praying for God to connect me with destiny helpers—people who could help me grow as a writer and move the book closer to completion. That conversation felt like an answer to those prayers.

When I got home, I visited the organization's website and discovered that a creative writing workshop was beginning in less than a week. I signed up.

Just like that, my six-to-eight-week writing break lasted less than a week.

God got the last laugh.

The reality is that whenever God has an assignment for us, our plans often take a back seat to His purposes. We see this throughout Scripture. Jonah tried to avoid God's call to Nineveh and ended up in the belly of a great fish. Saul was on the road to Damascus when Jesus completely redirected the course of his life.

My situation is certainly not as dramatic as either of those stories, but the principle remains the same: when God is determined to direct your steps, He knows exactly how to do it.

Looking back, I can see that God wasn't simply calling me back to the manuscript. He was answering prayers I had prayed months earlier. He was providing connections, opportunities, and encouragement exactly when I needed them.

So here I am, back at work on A Pressing Emergency much sooner than I expected.

I still get tired. I still occasionally want a break from the manuscript. But I've learned once again that Christ Jesus will accomplish His purposes in His timing.

At the end of the day, He always gets His way.