Theme for the Month: There's Gotta be an Easier Way

Insights

Work. I don't mind work. I really don't. I grew up on a dairy farm. I better not mind it. But there is one problem with work that I think most people don't acknowledge. There often is a frustrating lag-time between work and results. Farmers know this. You don't plant a crop one day, and walk out the next expecting the crop to be ready to harvest. No, it takes many, many days and even weeks or months of patient work and waiting for the crop to be ready to harvest. And there is never a guarantee that the harvest day will even come.

I feel like that's where I am now-at the working and waiting stage. I set up and go to these meetings, strive to make contacts with people who I hope will give me the opportunity to meet with a wider audience. They are the gatekeepers so to speak. And before I can speak to their groups, I have to convince them that what I have to say is worthwhile and beneficial. That's not always easy.

They are busy people. I'm just one more appointment that takes them away from the paperwork they are working on. In fact, most times it would be easier to convince myself that they don't want to hear from me at all than it would be to make that call. What do I have to offer anyway? What could I say that would really make any difference? That's an excuse of course. It's easier to sit back behind my computer wishing that the books would just sell themselves than to get out there and sell them. Self-promotion doesn't come naturally to me. It would be much easier if they heard about me and spontaneously thought, "Wouldn't she be a great speaker for us? I think I'll call her." I wish it worked that way. Unfortunately, it doesn't.

Of course I understand that God is using this time to prepare me for things to come. Take my web site for example. I've worked on it for two and a half years now. During that time I've tweaked, twisted, and a few times outright scrapped ideas and started over. I've spent countless hours trying out a new idea, then scrap it when it didn't work. Then a month or three later thinking, "I wonder if I tried…" Then what seems like out-of-the-blue this last month something clicked. More to the point, a lot of things clicked. Suddenly I'm getting subscribers coming in droves and visitors are pouring in. In fact, just this morning my rank dropped into the 87,000 range (out of 168 million sites-that's not too bad). I'm averaging 114 visitors (not hits) a day, and 109 visitors is a slow day. So I can see now that all that work has been worth it…

Now if I could just sell a few books now, I'd be set : )

I'll admit there are still times I wish I could wake up and that crop would be up and ready to gather right now. However, I understand well enough how things work to know that is not realistic. So for now I will keep planting those seeds, working, and waiting. And I will keep believing that in God's time, the harvest from all these seeds of work will come. I just wish that wasn't so hard!

Wisdom of the Ages

The secret of success is to start from scratch and keep on scratching.

Feature Article

There's Gotta Be an Easier Way

By: Staci Stallings

Have you ever had a dream that was so close you could nearly reach out and touch it? And yet every time you put your hand out, it turns out to be a mirage. You work and work. You put your all into making the dream come to fruition, but when you get to the place where you think you want to be, all you find is more work to do.

I see it with the two college students who work for me and are always hanging out at my house. It seems like they work and work, and yet graduation feels no closer. I see it in my carpenter husband. He stresses out when a job is finishing up because "what are we going to do next?" But he also stresses out when the job is going because "how are we going to get this all done?"

Now I see it in my own life. I set up meetings to talk with people about my books. The meetings always go well-some even go really well. But then, the sales don't come through like I thought they would (read: hoped they would). It's not that God's not on my side. I know for a fact He is because I've seen His hand at work in too many areas of my life to doubt it. Yet I'm still left wondering, why does it have to be this hard?

In thinking about this phenomenon, I suddenly realized that this very feeling is encapsulated in the scene at Gethsemane. Christ is kneeling, praying, and He says, "Father, if it's possible, let this cup pass Me by…" What He's really saying is, "Listen, God, please, there's got to be an easier way." He knows what is coming. He knows to the bottom of His soul this is not going to be fun. In fact, I think He's not even totally sure He can pull it off.

Think about it. He's been asked, nae, sent, to save the whole world. That's not exactly a miniscule assignment. On top of that, He knows that in order to accomplish this, He will have to suffer and die-on a cross, beaten bloody, and humiliated. That's not exactly the most comforting thought in the world.

And so, He asks God one more time if this plan is really necessary. Apparently the answer is, "Yes, it's necessary." In my mind I can see Him sigh real deeply and say, "Well, okay then." Then He stands up and walks forward into His future.

Here's the thing though, while we're in "hard," it's tempting to give up. It's tempting to say, "This isn't worth it" and walk away from God's ultimate dream for us. But if we do… if we walk away because it's too hard… we will miss the glorious resurrection day. We will miss that day on which God takes our dream, molds it into His vision and releases it to the world in a burst of golden light.

Sure, it could be easier, but then the triumph of our Easter Sunday wouldn't be met with such rejoicing. And who knows, if we didn't go through our Good Friday, our Easter might never come at all.

A Life Question

What things in your life seem too hard to accomplish? When you come against something like this, neither quit too soon nor toil too long. Quitting too soon will tell your soul that anything hard is not worth it. But if you are toiling too long, you may not be seeing the new direction God has in mind for your life. So, when a road seems too hard to travel, spend some quality time in prayer-not just talking but listening as well…

 

Congratulations!

To Dolina Nino, the new-subscriber winner of "Eternity" for the month of April.

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April 22, 2003
Edition 3,
Volume 8

 

Quote From On High "My Father, if this cannot pass away unless I drink it, Thy will be done." --Matthew 26:42   *****

"The Masters Speak" Life, love, relationships, hopes, dreams, success, faith… We all want them so how come some people find them and others don't? Staci wanted to know too, so she started asking some questions of those people she has learned so much from. Now she's going to share their answers with YOU! This month: An interview with "the next generation." Richelle Q, a multi- talented 15-year-old with a heart of gold and wisdom far beyond her years joins us at The Masters Speak. Come, and find out what the next generation would like us all to know. You might be surprised! If you haven't subscribed, sign up now to get this one-of-a-kind insight into how dreams become reality delivered right to you every month! *****

Sightings Scheduled Appearances for May, 2003: May, 2003 Staci will be presenting an online course for the American Christian Romance Writers Association throughout May about Online Promotions and writing for the Internet. *****

Books for Air Campaign Until May 31, 2003, a portion of the proceeds from all of Staci's books sold through Between Friends in Nazareth, Texas will go to the St. Mary's School Air Conditioning Fund. Titles available are: The Long Way Home ($18 -- $4.50 to St. Mary's) Eternity ($16 -- $4.00 to St. Mary's) From the Heart ($15 -- $3.75 to St. Mary's) Here's a great way to remember Mom or that special graduate and support a good cause at the same time!