He Keeps Flipping the Script

My life has been full of surprises. I'll share a few of them:

• I said I'd never marry a preacher. Well, I didn't marry a preacher, I married a corporate guy who, seven years later, became a preacher.
  
•  When my husband Anthony and I decided to adopt a newborn baby girl from the United States, the Lord chose a 2-year-old toddler boy from Russia for our family instead.
• After relocating cross-country from Tennessee to Northern Virginia in hopes of planting a new church there, after only one year, the Lord clearly directed us to Mosaic Church of Central Arkansas. (Note: In case you haven't noticed, Arkansas borders Tennessee. Surely moving costs would have been a lot cheaper if we would have moved right to Arkansas from Tennessee.)

As I share this list, I must admit, I wouldn't change not one of them. My life has been enriched by the surprises, the unexpected circumstances, and even the challenges of God flipping the script that I had joyfully written for myself.
 
And lo and behold, He's done it once again.

After following my dreams of becoming a full-time writer for several years now, God has taken my heart and mind through a paradigm shift. A paradigm shift that I'd love to share with you.

You see, for years now, if you would have asked me to define my career (outside of being a wife and mom, of course) I would have confidently stated: "I am a writer that advocates for social justice, primarily in the area of adoption and foster care."


Today, my script reads more like this: "I am a social justice advocate, primarily in the area of foster care and adoption that also writes."


It may sound like a simple change in samantics, but for me, this changes everything.


For instance, when I considered myself a writer first, I was consumed with the next writing gig, getting my byline out there and building my "platform." (By the way, platform means building an audience of readers and establishing myself as an expert in my craft and my personal interests.) And while there's nothing at all wrong with any of these endeavors, for me, they are no longer my primary focus.


Now my focus is on opportunities to share God's vision and hope for orphans around the world and around the corner. I still write, blog, post to Facebook and tweet, but I am no longer consumed with my blog stats (how many people read my blog) or how much activity I see on my personal Facebook page or how many people follow me on Twitter.


What ignites me now? Encouraging others to consider adopting or fostering a child. Pouring my time and energy into The CALL, whose mission is "to educate, equip and encourage the Christian community to provide a future and a hope for the children in foster care." Trusting God to bring opportunities for me to write for His glory and His alone.


And I'm absolutely resolved to continue to encourage, uplift and sometimes challenge others here at Deep Waters to love God and love our neighbors.


Even when their skin color is different from ours. Even when they belong to a different social class. Especially if they're poor or homeless or fatherless.


Even...

If they belong to the other political party.


But I won't go there again. :)


Love,

Carla