Where God's Word Meets Our Mess
I’m asking myself this question because exactly 10 years ago, I published my first post on this blog. Frankly, I feel like the answer to this question is “no” sometimes. Yes, I press on, even when I notice an inexplicable drop in blog views…and when I lose blog followers…and when I remember my plan to become a famous author remains unachieved. But what if I shouldn’t press on? What if this isn’t worth it?
I’m going to be honest with you—I still feel like a failure sometimes, even though Real Recovery was published back in 2022. In the past three years, I’ve learned lots of hard lessons about writing, dreaming, and trusting God. One of these lessons has been particularly hard for me to learn, but my hope is that it’ll ultimately encourage you in your endeavors.
If you’ve ever seen the movie Tangled, you can probably recall the amusing song “I’ve Got a Dream” that Rapunzel and several other characters sing about their personal aspirations. The song’s message is simple: Everyone has a dream, and every dream is special no matter how unconventional or unrealistic it is. It’s not unusual to hear or read similar messages from Christians. But even though many Christians emphasize the importance of having (and chasing) their dreams, God’s Word doesn’t.
As I journeyed through anorexia and recovery, I decided to write a book about eating disorder recovery. Honestly, I couldn’t not write a book about that. It was so therapeutic for me to put my thoughts on paper—and watch what God would do from there. Although I didn't know how my random thoughts would become eventually turn into a published book, I knew I had to do something with the fire—the passion—that was burning inside me.
So when I learned about the movie Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris, I was beyond excited to see it. I wasn’t 100% sure what to expect because I hadn’t read the book that it was based on, but I had high expectations about it. And it met my high expectations—for the most part.
Later this week, TTT will turn eight years old. Though each blogiversary post I've written has been a bit different, they normally have a common theme: my writing dreams (i.e., how I hope to achieve them, what God is teaching me through them, etc.). This blogiversary post celebrating eight years of TTT posts follows that theme.
I recently left my job as the Proposal Coordinator of an IT consulting company to become a writer/editor of reports for donors at a Christian nonprofit organization. This is the kind of job I’ve wanted for a long time. Before I was even contacted by the organization about setting up an initial interview, I'd been praying for God to provide a position at a Christian company—specifically doing something I enjoy. When I was offered the position at the nonprofit, I knew it was an answer to prayer. However, I don't think my non-Christian coworkers and supervisors at the IT consulting company truly understood why I was leaving.
No, I don’t (solely) regret watching La La Land because Ryan Gosling simply isn’t as attractive as he thinks he is. (I’ve seen guys in the grocery store who are way more handsome than he is.) I honestly regret watching it because I felt convicted not to watch it…and I proceeded to watch it anyway.
Recently, I’ve been reminded how much disappointment stings. Unfortunately, no matter how hard I try, I can’t prevent disappointments from happening. However, the lessons that I’ve been learning through this recent disappointment in my life will hopefully encourage you as you navigate disappointments in your own life. Here are a few things to remember when life disappoints you.
Tizzie's Tidbits of Truth 