Overflowing Lessons

Isn't it amazing how God teaches you lessons sometimes that go right along with what you're writing? My last post about "being a firefly" has been a theme in my life lately, and it's something my main character is dealing with as well.

I love that God can teach me something that will overflow into my story. I realized at this year's ACFW conference that if I try to manufacture a story with Spiritual elements, it will sound manufactured. I have to let what God is doing in my own life spill over into the story.

Besides the firefly issue, I've also been learning a lot about what God's forgiveness really means. It's so easy for me to talk about how God forgives completely and people should be given second, third, fourth, and fifth chances, but sometimes it's hard to put into practice. Sometimes cynicism gets in the way. How senseless it would be for warriors in a battle to "shoot their own wounded". How often do I do that with other Christians while I claim to be trying to be realistic? I should be incredibly hopeful in what Christ can do in other people's lives. He changed mine, after all.

I can't wait to see how this ends up in my manuscript. =) Know what I mean?