January 2, coming in out of the wind

It may be hard for an egg to turn into a bird; it would be jolly sight harder for it to learn to fly while remaining in the egg. We are like eggs at present.
-C.S. Lewis

Last night I decided to start writing my second book. I never finished the first one. It started to lay itself out right before my eyes. "Perfect! This will be perfect!" What better time to start writing a book then January 1st? I began right away. I thought I could easily spend 30 to 45 minutes a day writing and editing and by the end of the year at least I'd have a masterpiece. "I'll finish this one for sure!"

Only after my grand plan was laid out did I have a tiny inkling of hesitation. Something inside of me was saying that this was not the time and that I should stop almost before I had even begun. I knew the something all to well. It didn't sound like fear or feelings of inadequacy. I was almost certain it was the Lord saying, "now is not the time." When you hear such words you have two choices before you. 1.) You can say, "no this is just fear telling me to stop. this is just my inability to complete anything rearing it's ugly head at onset. this is just me quitting before the start. I shall go on." or 2.) You can say, "yes Lord. I hear You." and then obey.

This morning as I read through today's C.S. Lewis excerpt in "The Business of Heaven" I could not help but smile and laugh and find complete reassurance that yes, it was Him speaking to me. I shall proceed with the original plan for this first month of 2015: simplicity. Beginning to write a book doesn't exactly fall into the parameters of simplicity. Uh huh, I will come in out of the wind. "Yes Lord. I hear You."

The real problem of the Christian life comes where people do not usually look for it. It comes the very moment you wake up each morning. All your wishes and hopes for the day rush at you like wild animals. And the first job each morning consists simply in shoving them all back; in listening to that other voice, taking that other point of view, letting that other larger, stronger, quieter life come flowing in. And so on, all day. Standing back from all your natural fussings and frettings; coming in out of the wind. 

We can only do it for moments at first. But from those moments the new sort of life will be spreading through our system: because now we are letting Him work at the right part of us. It is the difference between paint, which is merely laid on the new face, and a dye or stain which soaks right through. He never talked vague, idealistic gas. When He said, 'Be perfect,' He meant it. He meant that we must go in for the full treatment. It is hard; but the sort of compromise we are all hankering after is harder- in fact, it is impossible. It may be hard for an egg to turn into a bird; it would be jolly sight harder for it to learn to fly while remaining in the egg. We are like eggs at present. And you cannot go on indefinitely being just an ordinary, decent egg. We must be hatched or go bad.
-C.S. Lewis
The Business of Heaven