Something God’s been teaching me a lot about lately is the many ways He speaks in our lives, and how to open my heart and mind to hearing Him. Like any other relationship, it’s a two-way thing. I believe He wants us to speak to Him, and He also wants us to hear His replies.
As always, what He wants me to learn spills over to my characters! Maggie, the heroine of my new novella Least Expected, is a fifty-something bohemian theatrical designer, helping a friend by doing Christmas window displays for Pettett and Myfields London department store. She grew up in the church but has let life challenges and her own mistaken choices both shake her faith and stop her opening her heart to a romantic relationship.
When she meets Edgar Pettett, staid and sensible heir to the store, she discovers that despite their difference and his mother’s disapproval, God has other plans.
But first, she needs to slow down and be still enough with God to listen!
This is a scene I wrote that didn’t appear in the story, where Maggie talks it through with her grown up daughter Rachel:
Not wanting to discuss Ed with anyone until her tangled feelings were clearer, Maggie welcomed the chance to change the subject. Somehow, she knew that until she got right with God, she’d never get right with Ed.
Unlike her own wobbly belief, her daughter’s sure faith had never shown any sign of wavering. Maybe Rachel would know the answer. Maggie sat up straight. “Rach, what do you do when you don’t feel like God is listening?”
Rachel blinked, pushed her dark hair back from her forehead, and her face creased in thought. “Um, I guess I try listening to Him, instead. Maybe He’s trying to tell me something. Sometimes He speaks to me directly in my heart and mind, and I know it. Sometimes I don’t recognise He’s spoken to me till later, but then I realise He’s used a book, or a Bible verse, or something someone else says.”
She stopped and bit a fingertip, a cute habit Maggie remembered her doing even as a toddler. “Or maybe there’s something getting in the way of me feeling His presence. Something I haven’t confessed to Him, or someone I haven’t forgiven. Or I’m feeling angry with Him.” She laughed. “Or all of the above.”
Maggie nodded slowly. All of the above just about covered it.
Rach continued, “Sometimes we do just need to trust that He is listening. You know, trust His promises, not our feelings.”
Hmmm. That was the tricky part.
Trust.
Thankfully, Maggie does eventually learn to take the risk of trusting, both God and Ed. :)
As I’ve had to do, in my own life! The biggest thing I’m learning, both with God and with my husband, is the importance of slowing down and listening.
What has God been telling you lately?
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USA Today bestselling author Autumn Macarthur writes romances full of faith and hope, celebrating God's love as well as a man and a woman finding their happily ever after. She prays they’ll warm your heart and make you smile. An Australian transplanted to Britain, Autumn lives just north of London with her lovely English husband and three demanding cats, in a very small house with a teensy tiny garden. She loves talking to readers, so please get in touch! And get a free Christian romance novella when you sign up for her reader newsletter at http://bit.ly/Autumnsubscribe
Lately, God has been telling me to slow down and be more in the moment, especially with loved ones. It’s difficult when you feel there’s so much to do each day, but I’m working on it.
Oh, that is such an important thing! And yes, it’s not easy when we have our endless to-do lists! That’s a biggie for me, too. Praying you find those special moments more often, Jill. :)
When life isn’t fair or I am stressed keeping up with my children or three grandchildren ages 11, 9, and 3 I try to remember: “The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?” Psalm 27:1
Even in retirement I agree with Jill to slow time and enjoy the moment.
Autumn, I enjoyed reading your novella Least Expected. Enjoy your weekend.
I think God is trying to tell me something, because I am reading several messages this morning that are reminding me to trust Him and to go to Him first. Thank you for this message. :-)
God has been telling me to open my eyes to the ways Satan is trying to influence my family. Not to be fearful but aware.
He does seem to do that sometimes, Mimi! We don’t get the message from one direction, but five at once! <3
That’s a wonderful verse to hold on to, Renate! I’m glad you liked the novella. :)
Have a wonderful weekend, and enjoy keeping up with those grandchildren!
Oh yes. That awareness is so important. When we see where things are truly coming from, we can pray and call on God to defend us and those we love.
Praying for you and your family.
I absolutely loved Maggie’s story (I had been waiting for it so I literally stop what I was currently reading as soon as I downloaded the new Love in Store book). Such a sweet and emotionally deep story. I really liked how you approached forgiveness and grace.
The connection with Nick and Cara’s story was like a good reminder of old “friends”. The new characters (Rachel, Arabella,…) were also nice additions. I wonder if we’ll read Rachel’s story with the best friend at some point.
I’m so pleased you enjoyed the story, Priscila! Sorry it was a little longer coming that I planned! I originally intended a quick 8,000 word short story/ novelette. It kinda grew, ending up four times longer!
Rachel and Jonathan will certainly get their story, but there are a few books in the queue ahead of them first. Sometime next year, for sure. Possibly, even at Ed and Maggie’s wedding. ;)
Though that will make a run of Love in Store wedding stories! Heart in Hiding, the next book in the series, will involve Nick and Cara’s fall wedding.
I’m not sorry the story is a bit longer than planned. It was worth it. While I look forward to hear about Rachel and Jonathan, I’m really excited to read about Nick and Cara’s wedding. I was wondering if weddings would be a recurring topic after Teapots and Tiaras. There are a lot of great characters in your stories for which I’d love to see life progressing.
I hear you! I’m going to try to bring that aspect in and involve previous characters as much as I can. There are a few more books to write first, but I’m also pondering a whole spin-off series including Mac and Tiff from book 3 and the previously homeless people they are helping back to a more settled life in each book. And Matthew and Anita from Teapots & Tiaras want their own series too, as they transform grim old Coalbrooke House into the House of Hope for child victims of war!
LOL, must write faster…
God has been telling me to trust His direction and provision. That’s better than worrying!
It surely is better than worrying, Diana! I hear that one a lot in my own quiet time, too! ;)
Isaiah 26:3 is a great verse Autumn! I often forget to have my thoughts on God, but rather have them on my situation, and those aren’t peaceful! What a wonderful reminder for me :-)
I love Rachel’s answer to Maggies question. How often I forget to listen! That still small voice can be drowned out by so many other things in my life. Or perhaps there’s something in my life holding me back from hearing what God is saying. That’s when I need to examine myself and ask God “Is there something that I need to deal with so I can hear You?”. He has always shown me if there is, or perhaps His answer to me is wait. It almost feels as if I’m doing NOTHING, but I just need to trust that’s He IS working in spite of His seemingly lack of doing something. Hes always up to something in our lives :-) I often get the answer in the form of “having done all, to stand”…so I stand on God’s word, God’s promises, and trust Him!
Great comment, Trixi! I completely forgot about how often His answer is to wait, trust, and be still.
That’s hard for me, because I always want to be DOING. Trusting is so much harder!
I absolutely love those spin off ideas.
:) They will go on the list. I have stories queued up and planned through to June next year already – an that doesn’t include any of these!
Good morning, Autumn. I’ve been trying to help my aging father and often trying to carry his burden for him. I was so weighed down by things I could not control and I finally had to “listen” to God and let go of what I couldn’t handle. And I have to remind myself to do that everyday, because some days I fall right back into the same difficult patterns. Thank you for the inspiring blog. Isaiah 26:3 is a wonderful scripture. May God continue to give you daily strength and wisdom to meet life’s challenges.
Hugs Stacey! Dealing with aging parents can be such a difficult challenge. We want to keep them safe and well, but we can’t take over their lives for them, and even if they’d let us, we can’t do it all. I struggle a lot with this too, both with my own parents back in Australia and my husband’s mother here. Praying for you.