Lessons Learned

I set off  for Denver last Thursday just hoping to stay awake on the long eight hour drive.  Gratefully, a good friend and my IPod kept me alert until I reached my destination–the Christian Writers Guild Conference. I’d been praying about the conference for several weeks, just asking for direction for my writing and for my future.

God delivered!

My first spiritual “thumping” came from none other than Christian author Liz Curtis Higgs. After an inspiring message about God’s faithfulness to give us the desires of our heart I had the pleasure of talking with her one-on-one for a moment while getting a book signed. She asked me what I wrote and told her I loved to write fiction but seemed to be selling more non-fiction pieces this year. I’d wondered whether it was a sign. She sat back in her chair and seemed to size me up. Then she leaned forward, stared into my eyes and said “Write your passion.”

I heard an audible “click” in my brain. Others have told me the same thing but somehow, having this stranger say it made me shiver.

Other Key note speakers talked about living life to the fullest. It’s a call I heeded at the beginning of last year but then fizzled out on. The flame has been rekindled. I don’t want to sit back and let life happen around me, I want to experience it–fear, excitement, joy and sorrow.

The final lesson was, I believe the most important. It was actually a question posed by the devotion leader on the first day of the conference- “How do people feel when they are with you?”

Ouch.

So often I find myself concerned with my own feelings and needs, I don’t even stop to consider how I’m making others feel. But no more. I’m going to make a conscious effort to think of others first, to help them before myself and try to build up those around me. I want people I’m with to feel better about themselves and about their lives. We all have problems, what we need are a few more smiles!