When my debut novel An Anchor on Her Heart released in July 2017, I had no idea what lay ahead for my writing career. Never in my wildest imaginings would I have foreseen releasing my seventh title In Search of Forever this past June.
But God knew.
Colossians 3:23–24 says, “ Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.” (NIV)
Those words resonated with me. When I decided to write seriously. I wanted to make a difference for God’s kingdom. To be His servant. I hoped to help people who have had sorrow in their lives, who have experienced pain from which they cannot escape, and who struggle to keep marching forward. Perhaps my words would offer them the strength to be found in God’s love, to seek shelter in His presence, and to enjoy everlasting peace.
My characters reflect that kind of suffering. Readers have written me saying my stories found their hearts. I touched their pain and through my characters helped them rise above the experience that wounded them.
I couldn’t have done that without God’s direction. I can think of numerous times while I washed the dinner dishes that a scene I had struggled writing earlier that day began streaming like a made-to-write video in my mind. Tears ran down my face as I watched the story unfold. I only hoped I could put that event down on paper as eloquently as God had played it before me in my kitchen.
What about you? You don’t have to write a book. Look for direction. Each of us has work God intended for us and He will guide us if we let Him.
The task may not be plainly visible at first. The Lord may have to hone our skills, tame a stubborn mind, and remove obstacles that stand in our way. I only set out to write one book in the beginning, to see if I could. God had other plans.
Have you been given the gift of helps? Does offering aid to an elderly neighbor bring you joy? Mowing a lawn? Running an errand? Listening to their tale? Someone with a long-winded story may be desperately lonely. Playing the Good Samaritan in someone’s life could change their future. God may have chosen you as His servant for that task.
I recently was blessed by a writing critique partner who saw a need and filled it. A former hospice worker, she sensed I was struggling with mobility issues and asked me about them privately. When I admitted my problem and the fact I didn’t know what to do she came to my rescue. She offered medical advice, brought me tools to use, and within a week I was on the road to better living. I can never thank her enough for getting me off the trail of self-pity that led to nowhere. She was God’s servant to me.
Whatever your calling, remember the verse above. Do your task willingly and work at it with fervor. Work as if you toil for God. Be honest. Diligent. Show integrity. When you accomplish your task, be humble.
God will have used you for His greater purpose. He chose you. No higher calling exists than being asked to serve the Creator of the universe.
Patricia (Pat) Lee has had a fascination with words and what they can do since she wrote her first short paragraph at the age of six. She doesn’t remember the content of her story, but her teacher became excited at what she’d done. “Obviously,” Pat says, “words made people happy.”
Pat worked as a stringer for a local newspaper during her middle and high school years representing the school’s news to the community. She received her B.A. in Journalism from the University of Oregon, then went on to work as a tabloid newspaper editor at her local church.
After she married, she began her freelancing career and sold to various publications, including Expecting, Moody Monthly, and Power for Living. More recently she has published in two anthologies, Cup of Comfort Bible Promises and Heavenly Company, as well as featured articles in Focus on the Family’s Clubhouse Magazine. An Anchor On Her Heart, her debut novel, released in July, 2017. Love Calls Her Home, A Kite on the Wind, and Love’s Autumn Harvest followed. Her newest book, In Search of Forever, releases June 2023.
Pat lives were her husband in the Pacific Northwest. They have two grown children. She is a member of Oregon Christian Writers (OCW) and American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW).
Can they bridge the long gap in their friendship?
Growing up, Jayden Clarke dreamed of becoming a Marine like his late father, who was killed in Afghanistan when Jayden was nine. His foster dad, Kurt, was also a decorated soldier. But his own encounter with a narrowly missed IED in Afghanistan leaves Jayden wounded and honorably discharged. He returns home defeated, his dream destroyed, not certain what his future will hold. Who will he become now? Is there anyone he can turn to?
Two years out of college, Baylie Summers has returned to the Mueller Rescue ranch where her best friend Jayden Clarke once lived as a foster teen. She hasn’t seen him since they graduated six years ago, but she’s thrilled when she lands the job as the ranch’s fundraising newsletter writer. Seeking refuge from the storms of life, Baylie waits for Jayden to return home, hoping he’ll have wisdom to help her recover from past incidents she wants to forget. Once a foster child herself, she fears Jayden might not like the woman she’s become. Will telling her secret make her lose Jayden forever?
