Publication: God’s Plan or the Tree in the Garden of Eden?

Tree with drops of ice sparkling in the sunshine

Publication—it’s a dream for every writer, whether a magazine article, a novel, a poem, or a short story. It says I have succeeded as a writer. It says I have accomplished a lifelong dream. It says someone wants to read my writing.

As Christian writers, we know God has set forth a plan for us.

Sometimes, though, the mirage-like goal becomes like the tree in the Garden of Eden—a sparkling temptation. We want to know the future of our writing, so we submit when a piece is not ready. We put in more hours at the expense of family time. We forget to pray about our writing.

When I pray for my writing, I find more focus. While I cannot know the outcome of my writing, I write with joy because God designed me with a passion to write. The destination for my writing, I leave in God’s hands.

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.

—Jeremiah 29:11

So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate; and she also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate.

—Genesis 3:6
Tree with drops of ice sparkling in the sunshine

Watching the Eagles: An Adventure Along the Mississippi River

An eagle swoops down to fish in the Mississippi River.

A crisp wind blows across the Mississippi River in Clarksville, Missouri. Remnants of snow cover the ground. Chunks of ice float in the river. People walk along the sidewalk in the riverside park, their gazes toward the water. Photographers view the surroundings through super telephoto lenses.

Though the winter has brought about temperatures cold enough to freeze the Mississippi River in places, the lock and dam churns the water with enough force to break up the ice.

Despite the cold, I do not slip on my gloves or bury my hands in my pockets. Instead, I grasp the camera hanging around my neck, ready to capture a moment.

Hundreds of eagles perch in the trees across the river. Some stretch their wings, circling overhead. Others swoop down toward the water to scoop up fish in their talons, only to have to fight off another eagle. Sometimes they fly away with their catch; other times the fish falls back into the river.

This scene from our annual trip to watch the eagles reminds me of God’s provision. He has provided a spot on the river for the eagles to feast during the winter. For certain, I don’t need a super telephoto lens to see God’s provision. It’s on display in nature, ready to be seen.

Does the eagle soar at your command and build its nest on high?

—Job 39:27

Who provides for the raven its prey, when its young ones cry to God for help, and wander about for lack of food?

—Job 38:41

But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.

—Isaiah 40:31