Saturday evening I was sitting in my air conditioned truck with the motor running staring out over one of our ponds. We were conducting a beautiful wedding that evening and several of our employees were working. One of our best employees was riding a cart and happened to notice my truck, and the next thing I knew he rode over to where I was sitting. I lowered the window and he asked what I was doing.
I replied, “I’m thinking”.
He replied, “Uh oh…You’re always thinking. That usually spells trouble for me, (as in more work on yet another project”).
I smiled and told him to relax, that this particular project would only involve my work. I then shared with him that I was getting ready to start writing a new book and I’d been sitting there thinking through the plot.
He muttered, “Why can’t you let well enough alone? It seems that you should just sit back and relax and enjoy all of this.” He gestured to the recently completed 91,000 square foot Honey Lake Plantation Resort and Spa and its 4800 acre outdoor wilderness playground.
I looked around and indeed it was a beautiful sight with one of those drop dead gorgeous sunsets reflecting on pristine white buildings complemented with lush emerald green lawns overlooking sparkling 80 acre Honey Lake. People were walking around talking and laughing and having a good time and thoroughly enjoying their celebration.
I smiled and told him I guess I’m just not built that way.
He looked at me as though I were some strange creature, nodded, and drove off to make his rounds.
I went back to my thinking.
I’ve begun a novel and I’m excited about it. I’ve thought through most of the plot and subplots and believe it will be an excellent book. I like the freedom associated with writing this book as opposed to my last, because an autobiography is hindered by fact, and since fiction is employed in novels, it allows the mind to wander and be creative.
The book will contain a powerful Christian message that should resonate with all but the most hardcore atheists; however the message will not be revealed until the final few chapters. As with my last book my utmost goal and desire is that secular unsaved people will read it. Hopefully when they finish it, the seed will have been planted and they will be well on their way to thinking about the deeper spiritual side of things and the seed of the Lord’s hope will germinate and bloom.
So my task is to make the book interesting and fascinating by building intrigue. An accomplished author/friend of mine told me that if I’m to write a novel I need to come up with the ending first. Secular people are most interested in the most commonly sought after things of this world, (money, power, fame, and the achievement of some significant achievement) coupled with a good dose of strong emotion such as love, sorrow, happiness and grief. I hope to weave it all together and at the end, spring a killer ending on the reader that will make them think at a far deeper level.
Yes I already know how it ends, and no I will not reveal it.
I ask that you kindly be praying for me that I might accomplish my goals. I believe that God uses all sorts of tools and resources to spread his message and I think this book is destined to be used in that vein.
I’m an evangelist at heart and want to see unsaved souls reached for the Lord. I’ve spent hundreds of hours thinking about the storyline for this book. When I have it completely figured out I will begin putting it to paper and it might take a year or more of hard work to complete. I’m excited about it and its potential to affect souls for eternity.
Judging by the many letters I receive each week from my book Miracle on Luckie Street, it is without question helping people to find God. It is a great feeling to read those letters and to know that I have a small part in offering them hope, and I pray that this one will be equally successful…
Much of the time spent planning this book was centered on trying to write it in such a manner as for it to not appear to be a religious book in the early chapters in order to get the secular world to read it. It seems a shame to me that the entire world chases the things in life that cannot be taken into the next. Eternity is forever and when we pack our bags we will not be taking material things. Only the things that we’ve done in this life, (pro or con), for the Lord accompany us into the spiritual world. The Bible teaches that the world and everything in it will be burned up, but that is what the world pursues with reckless abandon. Go figure…
Okay – Before anyone writes me some stupid letter, no I’m not writing these books to enrich myself; I donate all of the proceeds to charitable causes and ministries. I’m also not trying to get into heaven via good works. One cannot work their way into heaven, and I don’t care about potentially being granted any crowns or rewards when I get there either.
I do the best I know how for the Lord because I feel a tremendous sense of gratitude for what Jesus did for me, and I want to help fulfill His Great Commission. What good will having earned $100,000,000 or ten times that amount do for anyone in heaven versus leading one lost soul to the arms of Jesus? I hope you will find your niche. Jesus lamented the fact that there just aren’t enough workers. Perhaps that is because they are all out chasing the perishable instead of the non-perishable.
Selah…
Matt. 9:37
He said to his disciples, “The harvest is great, but the workers are few.