Benefits of Realigned Priorities

Last week’s post was a tough one, but I’m excited to share good news this week. I have stuck to my plan of reading the Bible more, and am really glad. Reading through Genesis impressed the notion of priorities to God and my wife and the result has been more peace and patience. As long as I uphold my duties to God and Rachel, it doesn’t matter what else happens, for the most part. I love writing, so that is going to get done, too, but now that it is not as important on my list of things to do as honoring the two aforementioned people, there isn’t as much stress if I don’t do well on a particular day, or ever for that matter.

It’s a strange coincidence that I would learn a new appreciation for this lesson the week that I get my first contract for fiction. A Flame in the Dark’s Monsters! Anthology will publish my short story, Cornhusker: Demon Gene on or around October 31^st. A Flame in the Dark is the Horror imprint of Diminished Media Group, a small publisher specializing in fiction from a Christian worldview. It’s another strange coincidence that my first published piece would be in the Christian fiction genre, and have monsters. For Cornhusker, I chose a main character one week from graduating high school, and who is afraid to ask a girl out because he still doesn’t know if he has inherited a gene that will turn him into a monster any day now. She makes the first move, and just when he thinks life has hit its peak….

What I loved most about “Cornhusker: Demon Gene” is how it addresses the fear of dying before one’s time. As a young author in the early stages of my career, it is easy to fear dying or other circumstances that would prevent me from achieving my dream.

I think this is one of the causes of my depression, and my desire for virtue and knowledge (cf. 2 Peter 1:5) has helped me realize, by meditating on God’s promises, that my dream of being a successful author isn’t my primary purpose—or even secondary. I can be successful by pleasing God and my wife, and content if that is the  only success I achieve on any given day, hour, or minute.

So, yes, I’m excited to get a story in print within a few weeks, but I’m more excited about my renewed desire to honor God and my wife. I had some major fears this week, and God gave me peace because nothing trumped the joy of seeing Him one day, and for eternity. I was just as busy this week, but I neglected the things that put my wife second to my writing. She was very thankful, and it made me feel better than after any success writing. It’s kind of funny how the solution to being overwhelmed with writing and marriage was the obvious answer of making sure God and marriage came first.

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