So I imagine that, like me, most people are ready for this winter to be over! According to the calendar, March 20th is when Spring begins which means Winter must end. Not sure about where you live, but sadly, “Spring begins” on the calendar means relatively little where I call home. Winter will likely continue on for at least another month, and we can still get snow into May! We have had a somewhat mild winter compared to past ones, but I know that many to the south of us have experienced much worse than usual. Spring probably holds a whole new meaning for some this year as they dream of a snow-free landscape!
March 20th also holds special meaning for me as it is my birthday. However, I’m not one to want a big celebration as it’s just a reminder that time is marching on…more quickly than it ever has before! As I stare 40-something in the face, it’s hard not to think back on my life and all that has transpired.
The good. The bad. The beautiful. The ugly.
I have had plenty of all four. It’s tempting to want to just have the good and the beautiful in one’s life, but I’ve discovered that experiencing the bad has made the good that much more incredible. That facing the ugly made the beautiful that much more amazing.
This has been particularly true of my journey as an author. I started writing and seriously pursuing publication in my early twenties. Becoming a published author was a huge dream. I wrote. I submitted. I made revisions as requested. And yet kept receiving rejection letters. Very disheartening. The editor at the one house I submitted to regularly knew me by name, always requested completed manuscripts from me and then…rejected my submissions! I felt like I was beating my head against a brick wall! Then about eight years ago, things in my personal life began to demand more of my attention, and I knew that I couldn’t deal with the continued rejection of my dream on top of everything.
I set it all aside.
After several years of dealing with the bad and the ugly in my life and in myself, I felt the pull to return to my writing, but fear held me back. I just couldn’t deal with the idea of facing rejection after rejection again. So I put it to the side once again and let my dream die a little bit more.
Then one day a friend from my writing days stepped back into my life and encouraged me to pull out those old stories and dust them off. She had been publishing through Amazon, and she thought it would be great for me to do the same. It took some convincing on her part…but the deciding factor for me was being able to share my stories without being told that they weren’t a good fit for a certain publishing company.
So after years of trying off and on to share my stories with the world—facing rejection after rejection from publishers—God opened a door and I hesitantly stepped through it, not sure what to expect. In January 2013, I published my first book—FAITH, HOPE & LOVE—and there was no turning back! But as I look back over the years, I can see that my dream was so small. That my belief in how God would use my words was so small.
I wrote to entertain Christians. To give them a clean alternative in the romance genre. Then I started to get reviews and emails sharing how the books had touched them spiritually. Really? My simple books were having a spiritual impact? Each book I published did better than the one before it. The characters and the stories I loved were finding a home in the hearts of readers, too! This had to be all God because it certainly wasn’t me!
Over the course of the next two years, God took my small, broken dream and turned it into a wonderful thing. So much more than I could ever have imagined it being. Having spent so much of my life feeling that my hope to be published was out of my reach, it’s taken some time to wrap my mind around how things have changed.
This whole journey has truly been of God. Though it was so hard to set aside my dream, to think that perhaps it would never be realized, I see now the wisdom in God’s timing. He brought my dream to fruition at just the right time. His time. If it had been my choice, I would have been published by my dream publisher years ago…but the journey I travelled between then and now has helped me to write better stories. That journey has given me an understanding and compassion for people I didn’t have before. And I understand certain struggles better than I ever did before. That has all played a role in the stories I write now. So while I had given up on my dream, God hadn’t. He just knew I needed to go through some things in my life before I was ready for it.
God’s timing is a beautiful thing.
Do you harbor a dream in your heart? Whether it is a small or lofty dream, we all have them. Have you been forced to set aside your dream while dealing with other things in life? Sometimes the heartache involved in having to do that can be intense. What is life without dreams? Don’t despair. Give those dreams over to God. Trust that He knows the desires of your heart and even better than that, He knows what’s best for you. Maybe He’ll help you realize the dream you have. Maybe He’ll give you an even better dream.
And remember it’s never too late to see the realization of a dream! I was in my forties before God opened the door to my dream. Never give up on God’s plan for your life and don’t be afraid to dream big because we serve an even bigger God!
In celebration of my birthday, I’m having a drawing for a beautiful candle. I love candles, and these handmade ones are particularly beautiful. If you want to be entered in the drawing, please leave a comment below!
purplemeri65 says
I just wanted to let you know how much I have enjoyed your books. I am so thankful that God opened that door. I am an avid reader but just in the last few years I started reading Christian books and what a blessing that has been. One of the first books I read was His Faith, Her Hope and Their Love and I could not put it down. Once I finished it I had to share it because it really left an impact. Since then I am a fan and have bought more of your books. Keep it up because you do reach people with a message about how awesome our God is. Happy Birthday!
The editorsnote says
Thank you, I needed to hear this today.
carylkane says
Kimberly, thank you for sharing your journey! I have been in the wilderness a long time. I am looking forward to what the Lord has for me. Blessings :)
Andrea Cox says
Kimberly, thanks for sharing your publishing dream story. It’s amazing how God works, isn’t it? Sometimes I wish I could get one little glimpse of Him working behind the scenes, just to know for certain that I’m not dreaming and hoping for nothing. But then I think that the whole point of hoping and dreaming is that we have to wait and see if that’s in God’s plan for us; we can’t get a glimpse beforehand unless He thinks we need one. And I’d rather not need one. I’d rather believe that He has the best plans in mind for me and trust that He will bring them to fruition in the right time. Trust is hard. But it’s also worth it.
Blessings,
Andrea
linderellar says
I loved your story about you started publishing your books. I just recently started reading Christian fiction and reviewing.
It has been a blessing.
May the Lord continue to enrich your life,
Linda
Sally Bradley says
Loved everything about this, Kimberly! I so identify. Isn’t it amazing what God does with everything–good and bad–in our lives?
Jennifer Johnson says
I have to say I love your work! I haven’t been able to put any of your books once I started them. Thank you for clean reading.
D K Stevens says
Enjoyed your thoughts today.. I do enjoy clean reads.. At 61 I’ve had my dreams & now I dream for my children & grandchildren :) dkstevensneAToutlookD OtCo M
DEE DEE DIXON says
Beautiful I love your books and i love your journey to get there thank you for sharing your gift and journey with us all
krjwrites says
Your words are such an encouragement! That book will always hold a special place in my heart so I’m glad to hear you enjoyed it. :) Thanks so much for stopping by the blog! <3
krjwrites says
Interestingly enough, I had a completely different blog post planned for today and changed it yesterday afternoon! God knew what I need to share. :) Thanks for stopping by! <3
krjwrites says
That wilderness can be such a difficult place to be, especially when you feel like you’re there all by yourself. I pray you feel God’s presence in a tangible way and that He will make clear to you the wonderful plan He has for you soon. {{{hugs}}} Thanks for stopping by and sharing. <3
krjwrites says
Hi Andrea! As I look back, I can see part of the “bigger picture” and why God’s timing was so much better than mine–but boy, it was hard to be in the middle of that bigger picture and only see such a small amount of it–the repeated rejection. It’s hard not to want to push for those dreams sooner because sometimes it’s possible to do that…but then it might not be the best God had in mind for us. I’ve just experienced this with regards to buying another home. I found the perfect house and really, really wanted it but knew there were hurdles. Hurdles that if we had pushed, we probably could have overcome, but for some reason I knew that this was a time to wait. It was hard to trust that had been the right decision when the house sold…to someone else. :( That was hard…but my husband just kept saying that if that house wasn’t God’s will for us, He had something better for us! Holding onto that! :D Thanks so much for sharing! <3
krjwrites says
You’ve started reading Christian fiction at a wonderful time, Linda! There are so many wonderful authors out there writing so many different kinds of stories for the Christian reader. And, as an author, let me thank you for taking the time to review the books you read. :) Thanks so much for stopping by the blog today! <3
krjwrites says
Yes, it is so amazing, Sally! And I have to remind myself that there’s beauty even in the ugly times…sometimes it’s not apparent until afterwards but it’s there. I just have to let God show it to me. Too often I’ve allowed myself to just focus on the bad and wallow in it. Trying very hard to learn from my past to not do that! :D
krjwrites says
I find myself dreaming for my children, too! And wishing I could spare them the bad and ugly in life, but I know God has a plan for their lives just like He did for mine and I need to wait on Him for their sakes as well. Thanks so much for stopping by the blog today! <3
krjwrites says
So glad you stopped by the blog, Dee Dee! Such a blessing to hear you’ve enjoyed my books. :) When readers love my stories and characters like I do, it is such an encouragement! I’m very grateful for readers like you. <3
krjwrites says
It’s such an encouragement to hear you’ve enjoyed my books, Jennifer. :D I’m so thankful that God has allowed me to experience this dream. <3
bellecalhoune says
Wonderful blog post. Thanks for sharing your journey to publication with us. The world is blessed to have you as an author. You are so very talented. I am praying that winter leaves us soon. Here in Connecticut we are getting slammed. It snowed again today with more expected on Thursday. I am dreaming of white sand beaches and fruity drinks.
krjwrites says
Hi Belle! I feel so badly for you all down there. We’re used to that much snow and cold up here in central Canada…but I know it’s difficult when it’s not the norm for you guys. I don’t really like the snow or cold myself–these winter months are my hibernation months. :D lol Makes for lots of writing time. ;)
Muriel (France) says
Thanks for sharing your experience with us Kimberley. Your stories entertain me but above all they encourage me to trust God more and more and to keep my eyes on Him whatever the circumstances, so I think your dream and passion reach the goal as I am not alone to feel that way ! Thank you so much !
Andrea Cox says
Oh, yes, God has better in store for you! Keep the faith, girl. Our God is faithful.
Trixi O. says
Thank you Kimberly for openly sharing about your writing journey & how God made that dream come to pass for you! I know about those valley seasons but I also know about those mountain-top moments & it makes those triumphs so much the sweeter. I think we do the most growing spiritually in those hard times, where God shapes and molds our characters. After all, He is the potter & we are the clay….we need to stay pliable for Him to do His work in us & not be so hard where He may have to break off those areas in our life (ouch!). I KNOW that feeling! It happened to me a lot as a new Christian, but I learned over the years to just trust that God has my life in His hand, and He has it all in control! Hard lessons, huh? He really does know best :-)
Happy early birthday too by the way! Boy do I know about that 40-something, but I think this is the best time of my life :-) So many blessings to look back on & so many more to look forward to. I hope that you will have the best birthday day with family/friends, laughter & joy! Here’s a great scripture I wanted to share with you(it was our daily devotional this morning)
Numbers 6:24-26 (NKJV)
“The Lord bless you and keep you;
The Lord make His face shine upon you,
And be gracious to you;
The Lord lift up His countenance upon you,
And give you peace.”’
You just keep on keeping on & trusting that the Lord has you in His hands!
Susette Williams says
One of my children told me today that they were so glad I didn’t ‘settle’ on a day job, that I followed my heart and pursued self-publishing. God’s timing is perfect, whether or not we’re over-anxious for Him to give us the answers that we seek on ‘our’ time table.