I’m in a writer’s group, and someone commented this morning that his family isn’t supportive of his writing. At the same time, he shared he’d had a successful book-signing event. Writers write books for many different reasons. Sure, as creators of ideas and worlds, we like some external validation for what we write. We want people to read our works and extol their virtues far and wide so we can sell more copies. I know of no one so wealthy that they have just given their books away for free.
This post started me thinking about my own first book. Finding Peace is specifically for people dealing with anxiety. It’s not my deciding one day to write a devotional guide to make beaucoup bucks. It represents success purely in its existence — my own personal success over anxiety. It was only through suffering and struggling through the feelings and treatment that enabled me to write this book. It was the discouragement that came with relapses back into anxiety and being blindsided with post-traumatic stress that made this book possible.
Anxiety and blessings from God are not mutual exclusive. They can and often do coexist. My hope is that someone who reads this book finds such a blessing, if in nothing else than in realizing that they have no need to feel guilty when a gracious God isn’t judging or hating them for feeling anxious.