Writer's Retreat -- Day 2

Although yesterday was Sunday, we decided not to attend a local church and to do our own independent Bible Studies in the morning. I read 1 and 2 Peter. Peter has always been my favorite apostle, and the book I want to write is about life from his wife's perspective. As I read it I took notes about things that made me think of Peter's personality after Jesus ascended. It made me wonder how his wife had changed as a result of her closeness to both the Savior and his most trusted apostle.

I finished outlining the events of the Gospels and stuck the rest of my note cards on the wall. Then I went through and put pink post-it's on events that Peter's wife might have witnessed, blue on those that Peter saw, and yellow on those things that were probably points of conversation between them. This gives me a lot of places I can start writing if I get stuck in one area! Plus it makes me smile to all this color-coded stuff organized on the wall...some of you will understand.

I did some more internet research on the Sea of Galilee, and I picked out actors to 'play' my two main characters. Just having a photo to look at as I write about these people will help me I think.

Our other two writing partners arrived -- Lisa and Susan. It is easy to feel like I'm the weak link in this group. Lisa is the minister at her own church, Colleen has a ministry degree, and Susan has published several Bible Studies and speaks all across the country. Nonetheless, I refuse to let Satan make me feel like I don't belong in this group. I know God has given me a story to write -- maybe not for the masses to read but at least for my growth and knowledge. This effort may not come to much, but I'm convinced I'm supposed to be in this place at this time.

This morning I woke up at 5:30 (no alarm) and re-read 1 and 2 Peter. Lots of new things popped out at me. I may re-read it every morning. After praying for my family, I decided to sit by the front window and watch the sunrise. After a few minutes I realized I might be missing out with such a limited view, so I grabbed a blanket and my coffee and headed to the front porch. I figured no one else on vacation here would mind my jammies and robe!

I sat there for about 20 minutes as the world brightened just slightly so I could see the outlines of buildings. I decided that having a roof over my head might be a barrier, so I took my chair and blanket and sat out at the edge of the street! Much better....for a few minutes. Then I noticed that it was just a bit brighter over the edge of a neighboring building, so I trotted my sock=covered feet across the street and down a few buildings and sat on an outcropping of rocks. I could feel a slight breeze on my face and thought about how God showed himself to Elijah in the gentle breeze.

There was a single frog keeping watch and a slight rustling of the decorative grasses, but no other sound. As the day brightened slightly I realized we had a pretty heavy cloud covering and wondered if the sunrise would be worth it. It was easy to sit in the dark, feeling the coldness of the hard rock beneath me, and think about how different or how similar sunrise might have been 2000 years ago. I kept a journal as the sky lightened.

All at once the world seemed to wake up. Crickets, more frogs, and hungry birds called out to each other to wake up -- it was time to get to work! It was quite bright and I almost headed in, thinking the show was over. Yet I stayed, enjoying the sounds as the world came to life. Suddenly the clouds at the horizon lit up from behind with brilliant golden edges. It almost looked like a lava flow through the grey. As I continued to watch, bright rays of light fanned upwards and lit the clouds above with a brilliant glow. Moment by moment it seemed to get brighter until it was almost too brilliant to watch. I blinked, then the orb of the sun broke through and seemed to rise within seconds. The world got silent for just a breath, then the birds started their chatter again.

To think I almost missed such a stunning sight. How many other things have I missed in my life because I didn't wait long enough? And I thought of all those who were sleeping and had no clue of the glory that passed right by. Maybe I put too much thought into a sunrise, but it just swells my heart to see the pomp and circumstance with which God chooses to start the day. Each day is different, yet has remained basically the same since the beginning of time. Was Peter's wife ever able to enjoy a sunrise, or was she already busily preparing for her day?

I came inside, ate a wonderful breakfast of oatmeal with nuts and berries, and decided to start my day. With an oh so brief visit with my precious granddaughter on skype, I'm ready to hit the books. I have no idea how much I'll write, but I hope to get at least 2000 words done (this post is almost 1000, so that doesn't seem unrealistic!).

We'll see how I did tomorrow. Praying that you each have a blessed day.