Blogger: Rachelle Gardner
I was scheduled to have coffee with a woman to talk about her writing, someone I’d never met. I was stressed and having a rough week, and I’d considered postponing the meeting until a time when I could have more brain space. But it didn’t seem like the right thing to do.
So as I was getting ready for the meeting, knowing I needed to really be there for this writer, I prayed that God would show me how I could be a blessing to her. Then I realized I could really use some blessing, too. (Rough week, remember.) So I prayed something I usually don’t: Let her be a blessing to me, too.
When I got to the meeting and sat down and we started talking, I immediately felt a kinship with her. I was fascinated by her story, loved her writing, really heard her heart. We started finding little connections between us—small things, but significant.
She told me she’d been following me on social media for years and she liked the writing in my blogs. Her comment gave my confidence a boost—everyone needs some encouragement now and then! I told her I thought the same of her talents, that I was impressed with her writing and would consider it a privilege to work with her.
We talked a long time and when I had to leave, I didn’t want to.
I told her that she’d been a blessing to me, and that I had specifically prayed for that because I’d really needed it. She told me she’d been discussing our upcoming meeting with a friend, and the last thing her friend said on the phone was, “Be a blessing to her.” (That is, to me.) Wow.
That’s what I love about working in this business—this unpredictable, difficult business called Christian publishing. It’s when I get to meet people like this, writers who bless my life regardless of whether we ever work together. It’s when we know we’ve met for reasons beyond us and bigger than us. It’s when we know this is a relationship business, but the business is secondary. The best thing about this business is the people—including all of you in our blogging community—and our God who brings us together.
What are you finding to be a blessing in this business?
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Rachelle, YOU are the first and most prominent blessing in my writing life.
* Years ago I sent you a query (you were and are at the top of my ‘dream agent list’) on what would later be published as ‘Blessed Are The Pure Of Heart’. Though you passed, you sent a lovely and encouraging email.
* You heartened me, and gave me hope. I’m still here because of you, my dear blessing personified, and – if I may say so – my friend.
What an encouragement you are, Andrew! Thank you. It almost goes without saying that you’re an incredible blessing to us here in the Books & Such community. Your wisdom, your humor, your friendship, your constant encouragement of others – it means so much to all of us! I personally appreciate your thoughtful feedback and the way your share your perspective and knowledge with us. Thank you for being such a generous contributor here. You’re indeed a blessing, and it’s people like you who inspired me to write this post.
As a writer in a business full of rejection, I find God Himself to be a blessing. He is my rock when I have nothing else to grasp. Thanks for sharing this blog- God bless.
Yes indeed. God is the ultimate blessing.
The biggest blessing in this business has been, by far, the relationships with others. I’ve been blessed by people who have come alongside me as encouragers. Some have come alongside to help me grow in writing craft. Others pray. The relationships in this industry have been life-changing, character-deepening, and enriching.
Jeanne, I appreciate your gift of encouragement. You do it well, friend.
I would say the same of you, Wendy. 🙂
And God said,”I love it when my plan comes together.”
You think God is up there grinning at how it worked out? Okay, not theologically sound, but I like to think that.
Definitely the people! They have such a genuine love of helping, giving of their time and knowledge without asking anything in return.
I remember when I wrote a note to a favorite author of mine, telling her how much her books meant to me and how they inspired me to become a writer. She sent me one of her out-of-print books with a special note inside encouraging me to write my own story. I can’t begin to say how much that meant to me.
Really, I think agents, editors, writers–the good ones–are servants at heart. And I hope to join their ranks and be able to pay forward what so many have given to me.
Thank you for this post. It’s always a good thing to remember our blessings!
So sweet to hear that. How lovely.
🙂
Rachelle, I’ve said to my wife on more than one occasion that one of the blessings of joining the writing community is meeting others–colleagues (I still can’t get used to being one), others in the industry, and readers…and this from a confirmed introvert. Thanks for sharing with this post.
Books & Such has been an incredible daily blessing to me. A day that I don’t get to comment or read the post never feels quite right. Thank you for the wisdom here. And I love your testimony, Rachelle. How God goes before us and meets us is a beautiful thing. Thank you, Rachelle.
I second this, Shelli! This community is truly special.
Rachelle, this blog is one of two that bless me with every post. It’s almost painful when I’m out of a cell service area. I love your content, but it’s really the people in this community that mean more. When one of the regulars fails to show up, I pray that nothing is wrong. Meeting Jeanne T and Davalynn at my very first writers’ conference was the highlight of that trip. I can hardly wait to go to ACFW and meet many more face to face.
I can’t wait to meet you, Carol. 🙂 I’m hoping with all my heart to make ACFW 2017.
It was so fun meeting you, Carol!! 🙂
Beautiful! How lovely that you were blessed and she was blessed, and then God blessed both of you. So often it works that way.
I agree with the other comments. This blog is a blessing. There is genuine caring offered here. We’re all the richer for it.
I love this blog and the wider writing and publishing community. It feels like home. I’m appreciating it more than ever now that my first book has flown the nest and is flapping around in the big world. The writing community is a soft place to land when things “out there” aren’t so kind. Don’t get me wrong; lots of good things are happening. Much to be grateful for. But there is the occasional poor review or mystifying comment that make me want to run home to people who understand and commiserate. And I enjoy being that soft place for others, too.
It’s heartening that your experience of the writing community is a “soft place to land.” I love how so many people are there for each other.
Wonderful from-the-heart post, Rachelle. I love this: “…the business is secondary.” The biggest blessings I’m finding in the writing world are all the terrific tidbits of inspiration in books, blogs, and other social media posts. And discovering I’m not alone never gets old. Sometimes a phrase jumps off the page and settles as a signpost in my heart. “Be a blessing…” is the reminder that just jumped into mine from your words.
Blessings ~ Wendy Mac
You’re so right. I think “discovering we’re not alone” is a need we have all through life, over and over. Thanks for pointing that out!
You don’t know me, but you’ve blessed me many times in then past. I look forward to your words of instruction and encouragement. Thank you
Christine, thank you for coming out of the shadows! It’s wonderful to know there are people out there reading our words, even if we don’t know them at all. Thanks for being part of our community!
In 2012, I found a writer’s blog by a guy named Michael Hyatt, From there, I was directed to Rachelle Gardner’s blog. There, I ‘met’ a few interesting people, including Heather Gilbert and Becky Doughty, and we became fast friends. Another person I met was a guy named Andrew Budek-Schmeisser.
When I trekked to New Mexico in July of 2012, I met up with Barbara and Andrew at Cracker Barrel in Albuquerque. (We are still close, and to be afforded the privilege of meeting with them over pancakes, or over cold Pepsi’s in the shade in front of their home, well, I am forever blessed.)
Since 2012, I’ve migrated to the Books and Such blog and hang out here on an almost daily basis. This is where I met Shelli Littleton, and people, she is SWEET and kind, a fabulous host, and do not think , for one second, that she can’t hold her own amongst those of us who are poorly behaved.
Here is also where I met one of my earliest and dearest writer friends, Jeanne Takenaka (who I’ve stayed with and who can pull over to the side of the road at rocket speed, when the McDonald’s food wants to get out) and Lindsay Harrel, (who I met in Phoenix in July of 2012) and my writing GURU, Beth Vogt.
Beth held my hand through a LOT of intensive last minute re-writes a week, A WEEK, prior to ACFW 2013, and taught me about holding onto grace in this gig when the hurt is overwhelming, but the joy needs to be put forward. When I made it to ACFW 2013, Beth nearly broke my ribs. The girl can HUG.
All these people, and many many more, are the blessings in this business.
And without wanting to sound “oh, look at me, I have an agent”, Mary Keeley and THE BIGGEST blessing I could ever ask for.
I’m trying not to cry as I type this, but without her, and this agency community, I’d have given up years ago.
There are few summits in the writer’s life, therefore, who we align ourselves with is critical. Our climbing partners must be people who are wise and with whom we can be completely real.
I am astounded that people do this job without God’s leading. I’d have lost my ever loving mind if I had to fly solo on this.
But, maybe I shouldn’t say it that way, I may be the only one who thinks I still have access to my ever loving mind.
Thank you for this, Rachelle. It’s made me good and weepy.
For some reason, my screen just got all blurry. Darn computers.
Mine too. Weird, eh?
Awww 🙂 Thank you!
Jennifer, I thank God for meeting you here. You are a blessing and an encourager if ever there was one! It’s fun to see where God is taking you on this writing journey!
Jennifer, thank you for this! A beautiful reminder of how much we all need each other, and how we can all bless each other every day.
You, and everyone who posts regularly on this blog, bless me every day. Writing is a solitary business, but we’re communicators and we share our faith so we have a lot of the most important things in our lives in common.
I can think of only one thing to add: Amen!
Rachelle,
God is the biggest blessing to me, but because He is God and works ” behind the scenes” through people, relationships with people, whether online, such as this blog, or in person, is a big blessing too.
*About six years ago I was in a writers’ group with 5 or 6 others. One evening before we started, a member asked for prayer for a difficult situation. Two or three other people also mentioned needing prayer. So the writers meeting changed into a prayer meeting. Christ’s Presence was so real in that room; I could almost see Him standing there amongst us. It was a privilege to be there.
*It occurred to me later on that what we thought was “writers group”, God thought of in bigger terms. The writers group was God’s way to get us together to encourage, inspire, and pray for one another. God provided answers for me through the writers group I might not have found any other way. Although the group disbanded, I still keep in touch with 4 members.
Isn’t that the truth, Peggy. Whenever we gather with friends who share our faith, it can always be something bigger, can’t it? Thanks for sharing this story.