Navigating the unglamorous days

The writing journey as not as glamorous as one might expect.

Yes, there are those exciting, mountain-top moments.

But behind those times are hours and days and years of consistently doing little, ordinary, sometimes boring, things.

The other day, I was struck by this verse in Zechariah 4:10: “For who has despised the day of small things?”

In context, the passage is referring to the rebuilding of the temple in Jerusalem after Judah’s 70 years in captivity.

When you study the book of Ezra, you see that the Jews were sometimes discouraged in their work, regretting the loss of the larger, more magnificent temple, or fearing the threats of their enemies.

God sent Zechariah to encourage them and to urge them to persevere with the work. The verse in Chapter 4 is part of God’s promise that the temple will be rebuilt.

In a sense, Christian writers are builders. We are building with our words, striving to serve God and others.

Just like the people of Judah, it is easy for us to become disheartened, to listen to the scorn of the world around us.

I know that I, for one, have often despised the day of “small things.”

I would rather be speaking at book clubs or signing books than spending three hours on a paragraph that I end up deleting the next day.

It’s easy to grow weary, to lose heart.

As I’ve travelled this road, it has helped me to remember two things:

The world applauds the author on the stage, not the author bent over a keyboard struggling to defeat writer’s block. But standing on a stage is not more glorifying to God than persevering through a difficult writing season. Man looks at the outwards appearance, but God looks at the heart!

It’s about knowing Christ and being transformed by Him. Often, our greatest growth happens in the days of small, hard things.

If you’re feeling frustrated because your days seem to be full of “small” things, take heart.

As Matthew Henry expresses it so beautifully in his commentary on Zech. 4:10:

Though the beginnings be small, God can make the latter end greatly to increase; a grain of mustard-seed may become a great tree. Let not the dawning light be despised, for it will shine more and more to the perfect day. The day of small things is the day of precious things, and will be the day of great things.

Don’t grow weary! Don’t give up!

Keep writing, and may God bless you!

In a couple of months, I’ll be celebrating the grand finale of my medieval adventure trilogy with a special Kickstarter event.

I’m planning some things especially for Christian writers and would be delighted and honoured if you would consider joining me in celebrating this huge milestone in my own writing adventure.

Follow the campaign here so that you know as soon as it goes live!