“God knows our situation; He will not judge us as if we had no difficulties to overcome. What matters is the sincerity and perseverance of our will to overcome them.” — C.S Lewis

Dear friends, fellow writers, and chronic illness sufferers, I want to encourage you if you’re feeling anxious about your unfinished projects.

Because so much work goes on behind the scenes, in the hidden recesses of our minds and hearts, long before it becomes a blog post, book or work of art we might want to share with others.

I’ve learnt in my years of blogging and writing books not to worry too much about my words biding their time to be aired, or become overly concerned about those who seem to be streaking ahead with their creative work.

You and I might be slower to bloom but we can still enjoy the journey, even if the effort it takes to finish a project tires us enormously.

perseverance - So much work goes on behind the scenes quote (C) joylenton @joylenton.com

Trusting in God’s perfect timing, even as we labour quietly and faithfully for months, is what helps us stay focused on ploughing our own small furrow.

It also gives us the ability to celebrate with those who are able to press on regardless, seemingly unhindered by illness, fatigue or writer’s block.

“So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised.” — Hebrews 10: 35-36 NIV

So I hope you’ll forgive me for keeping quiet about my labours until they’re finished, largely because I cannot predict the timing or guarantee a certain end date.

But it’s with great relief (and great exhaustion!) and deep gratitude to God for making it possible, that I can now share the news that I’ve just completed my 4th book!!

It’s called Experiencing Lent: Sensing the Sacred in Our Midst and its collection of poetry, reflections, bible verses and prayers are designed to help you achieve that purpose. It’s available now on Amazon as a devotional resource for Lent, which starts on February 17th.

Keep persevering, my friend. The race isn’t always to the swift and strong. We tortoises might be slow but we get there in the end! 😉📚🐢

“It is for us to pray not for tasks equal to our powers, but for powers equal to our tasks, to go forward with a great desire forever beating at the door of our hearts as we travel toward our distant goal.” — Helen Keller

PS: I am giving you the news here first before sharing it more widely on social media. But you are welcome to share this post and the news about the book. That would be lovely, thank you! UK readers can access the book by clicking on the image below. 🙂 ❤