The Storms of Life by Wendy H. Jones

As I write this post I am sitting listening to the wind and rain. It is battering off the windows and it sounds like I am writing inside a drum. We have started to name storms in the UK and to be honest I have lost track as to what this one is called. I think it may be Henry. BBC weather informs me that in my area gusts are reaching 70-80 mph. I am truly thankful that I have a warm house and I am not out in this. I am praying that anyone who is homeless has been given shelter and food. Although I am in Scotland I am sure most people reading this will have had a similar tale of adverse weather recently.

Storms can often batter our writing life as well. Not physical storms as I am describing above, but those which threaten to disrupt our carefully planned, and set aside, writing time. Every time I sit down to write recently something urgent has come along to disrupt it. I'm not talking about distraction therapy here. I'm talking about things which take hours and suck all the energy out of me. Who can identify with that? Sometimes as writers we can feel like a hamster on a wheel, chasing round and round, giving it all we've got. Yet our manuscripts are going nowhere. Sometimes, I, and I am sure you, just need to take a step back. Then take a deep breath and relax. We also need to put some time aside and pamper ourselves. Then, get back to the writing. Forget about the fact that it is not going well just write as though it is the only thing in the world. Writing storms can often be worse than physical storms as we often cannot see and end to them. Don't let them drag you under. 

In our Christian life too, storms will come. We will be battered by doubts and insecurities. By the fact there never seems to be time to read the bible. Sometimes it feels like we are clinging on by our fingertips. Again it can be difficult to see an end to these times. To look forward to a day when our Christian walk will be easier.

As Christians we can be secure in the knowledge that no matter how great the storm, God is with us. He is more powerful than the worst storm we can imagine, and he will carry us through. As you move into the next week remember this truth. Hold it close to your heart. 

Wendy H. Jones lives in the beautiful City of Dundee, Scotland. The Detective Inspector Shona McKenzie Mysteries are set in this city. The first two books in the series, Killer's Countdown, Killer's Craft  and Killer's Cross are available through Waterstones, Amazon and her website. The third book in the series Killer's Cut will be released on 18th April, 2016