Write2Ignite

A few months ago, I was asked by a church staff member if I would be willing to participate in an afternoon get-together sometime in the summer where I could share about being a writer. The person who asked me coordinates our church’s homeschool support group, so I thought it would be for a small, intimate gathering of homeschooling parents and children. I agreed, and marked my calendar with the date. A few weeks before the scheduled day, I was surprised when our media staff showed a mini-promotional announcement before church. It featured one of my books! What I thought would be a small affair, was now a churchwide open invitation. Yikes!

So how do you prepare for a bigger-than-expected event?

Pray

As Christians, this should be a no-brainer for anything that comes our way. But sometimes when the unexpected happens, we get caught up in the details and we forget to take time to give our issue to the Lord. But, God is not surprised by anything. So make sure you take the time to pray and share your concerns with him. It’s amazing how better you feel when you do!

Seek Out More Information

Because I wasn’t privy to all the details, I sought out more information. I found out that the event was actually called Truth Tellers, and it was sponsored by our church’s children’s ministry. The focus was to bring authors and illustrators together to talk about how they share truth in today’s world. There were several illustrators coming, some working for very big animation companies. Individual Q&A sessions were scheduled for several of us, as well as a few drawing demonstrations, story read-alouds, and various activities. I was even going to have a table to show my books, etc.

Be Flexible

Much of this information was new to me, but I was willing to be flexible. I had made a commitment to be there, and I wanted to be a blessing to those in attendance. On the day of the event, we had to have some flexibility, too. The number of people who registered was over 700! We had to change the location of some of the events because of this unexpected amount. So much for that small gathering I was thinking of!

Another issue came when my writing friend and mentor, who has been published for years, wasn’t able to come. A family emergency caused her to cancel. That made me the only traditionally published writer at the event. Being flexible helps reduce stress because you have the mindset to adjust as necessary.

Use Available Resources

I recruited my youngest daughter to help me figure out how my table should be decorated. We went over how I would lay everything out, and what books I should display. Then I asked my eldest daughter to help me figure out what outfit to wear that was both comfortable (with the heat) and professional. There is nothing wrong with using resources that are available to you.

Trust God’s Guidance

Although I had been given a list of “possible” questions I would be asked during my Q&A session, I still didn’t know exactly what direction the conversation would go. In situations like this, I pray, and then I trust the Lord to give me the words I need. And He came through all the way! I was still a little nervous, but overall, I pointed all my responses to Christ.

At one point, I was asked how important words are. And I felt the Lord give me this answer (paraphrased here for you): Words in our society are being manipulated. There are many who want to change their meaning. We, as Christian writers, need to speak Truth that will glorify God, even if it goes against what the world is saying. He is the One who gave us this talent. We need to not be afraid to stand for Truth.

When I finished speaking, I had a number of potential writers, of all ages, come up and start asking additional questions. I never had that before. And as I responded, I always made sure to encourage them to give glory to God.

When your expected turns into something unexpected, we need to give it to the Lord, ask for His help, use resources available to us, and trust Him to guide. You may be surprised at the outcome!

How do you work with unexpected situations?

Unsplash credits: Kraken Images and Emiliano Vittoriosi.

Catherine L. Osornio has written inspirational articles for a women’s ministry newsletter, over 200 leveled reader stories for a school’s reading program, fiction and nonfiction articles for Clubhouse and Clubhouse Jr. magazines, The Declaration of Independence from A to Z, Thunder Comes a Rumblin’, Mosquitoes Infect!, plus various work-for-hire projects. A former elementary school librarian, Catherine is passionate about sharing the love of reading. She enjoys cartooning, illustration, and reading kids’ books. Email her at CLOsornio@verizon.net or visit her at www.catherineosornio.com.