We've all had longings or yearnings during our lives, especially when we were young. Having the whole world before us, we could dream about what our lives would look like as writers/authors. "If only I could publish a book" "I wish I could find the perfect literary agent" "If I could only have more sales" "I wish more people would interact with my social media posts" "If only my family and friends would take my career as a writer seriously". . . and so it goes. I continue my musings today using Les Miserables as inspiration. It has to be one of my number one favorite classics come to life. So many scriptural lessons! There's another sort of yearning which we see in two female characters from this well-known classic (is it always the women who dream??)

Young Cosette dreams of a better life, free from bondage. She longs for her mother's touch . . .

Castle on a Cloud

"There is a lady all in white Holds me and sings a lullaby She's nice to see And she's soft to touch She says, 'Cosette, I love you very much.' I know a place where no one's lost I know a place where no one cries Crying at all is not allowed Not in my castle on a cloud."

As a writer, what are your hopes and dreams?

Do you have hopes that your book will become a bestseller, that readers will love your work or that the readers will find hope and joy amidst its pages?

Eponine yearned for a different sort of life. A normal life. A life with Marius. Of course, they are worlds apart, but just for a moment, she believes in her dreams . . .

On My Own ". . . On my own Pretending he's beside me. All alone I walk with him till morning. . . And I know it's only in my mind That I'm talking to myself and not to him And although I know that he is blind Still, I say there's a way for us. . . But every day I'm learning All my life I've only been pretending Without me, his world will go on turning A world that's full of happiness that I have never known. . . "

Are your dreams valid? Or are they unattainable?

Do you dream about a lucrative career as an author, with many books to your name?

None of these dreams are wrong unless you are obsessed with them and unable to enjoy life and trust our wise God with your work and career. Believe me, I know it's difficult. When I received my first year's royalties, the amount couldn't pay off one month of a car payment, let alone purchase a used car! But then, I needed to remind myself of my dream: to touch lives and give them hope. So, when readers of my debut book, The Heart Changer tell me:

"I felt Miriam's (MC) pains and her joys. My heart melted right along with hers." ". . . After reading this book I am reassured that God is the one who changes even the hardest hearts and that He placed me in every situation I faced as a young girl so that He could be glorified. . . I feel I have found the last bit of strength I need to do what needs to be done next. Miriam and Naaman's story is never going to be the same for me again. It will mean so much more." “It’s inspiring — even a little girl can make a difference with the power of the one true almighty God on her side.”

Then the small royalties mean nothing to me! Yes, we writers have many things to discourage us. The writing life has never been easy -- history reminds us of classic author's lives. Many of them never lived to see their books publish or rise to popularity. But today, we are blessed by them. Did you know that God knows and cares so much about our disappointments, that He keeps track of our tears?

You have kept count of my tossings; put my tears in your bottle.  Are they not in your book?  Psalms 56:8

What are you trusting the Lord for in your writing career today? Let me know in the comments below!