I did it! Oh, yeah, I did it! I completed the A to Z Challenge!
Woo-Hoo!
There’s a party going on right here … a celebration
Cel – e – brate good times! Come on!
Now, I bet, I’ve got you singing. Great! Because the fact is, I am celebrating today and I’d like you to celebrate with me . But, you should know, I’m not celebrating me and my accomplishments. No, I am celebrating what God did for me in the month of April.
You see, I’m 99.9% positive I could never have completed the A to Z Challenge on my own. A quick look at my blogging statistics prior to April 2014 will show some pathetic results. Relatively infrequent posts. Low readership. No goals. Truthfully, I felt as unsuccessful as the statistics already proved.
Whenever I thought about writing, I typically whined,
“Lord, why did you call me to write for You when it is obvious I cannot do it successfully!”
Despite my feelings about my “writing career,” I was eager, enthusiastic and excited when the Holy Spirit prompted me to take the A to Z Challenge. But as the time passed and the beginning of the challenge grew closer, I begin to have second thoughts, doubts replacing my zeal for the task ahead.
How on earth could I post 26 times in one month when I hadn’t posted 26 times total in the previous year? I had five kids to homeschool, meals to cook, errands to run, and laundry to wash. Lots and lots of laundry. Where would I fit in all the writing time? How would I come up with topics for all those letters? What about Q and X?
Then in the quietness of my soul there was a whisper.
I’ve got this. All you have to do is give it to Me.
So I did. Day by day. Post by post.
Several times, I thought I wouldn’t have a thing in the world to write. Every single time, God came through. In the beginning, I believed I didn’t have a chance in the world of seeing this challenge through to the end. Truthfully, I didn’t.
I had something better.
I had the zeal of the Lord of Hosts to help me accomplish what God had called me to do for His glory.
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Zeal means great energy, enthusiastic diligence, or passion in pursuit of a cause or object. Many places in the Bible talk about the zeal of the Lord, almost always in references to the zeal of the Lord of Hosts performing a particular feat.
I almost always start off a new project with a lot of energy and enthusiasm, but I often lack the fervor and passion to see it through to completion. In the past, I’ve been scared to step out and do things I know God has called me to do because I fear I cannot accomplish the work.
How wonderful is this thought: I don’t have to! It’s not me. On my own strength and power, I will certainly fall short of success. Rather, it is the zeal of the Lord of Host (God working in me) that will accomplish whatever task He has asked me to do. All I have to do, is be willing to let God work through me.
Z is for Zeal …
God’s zeal, not mine, to do wonderful things through me to bring glory to His great name!
So what is it that God is asking you to do?
Are you willing to let His zeal carry you through in completing your mission impossible?
Tales from the Laundry Room 
Well done, Paige! Now you have to keep some posts coming (not every day!), because I’m interested in what you have to say, and I know I can’t be the only one.
Thank you so much! I don’t think I can keep up the daily blogging, but maybe 2-3 times a week. God definitely showed me I have time to write, so that excuse doesn’t work well anymore. You’ve encouraged me to stick with a regular blogging schedule for sure! Blessings!
I do have a regular schedule that’s much less ambitious than A-Z. I believe you have a message to express — even if it turns out to be less than 2-3 times a week, and I look forward to reading it.
Most of us can relate to this, and you’ve expressed it very well. Congratulations on faithfully completing this challenge – looking forward to future posts!
Thanks for being a reader … it’s what every writer loves to have and I’ve been blessed to meet quite a few who write blogs I enjoy and encourage me to write on mine. 🙂
5 kids! 0MG
I would take 5 more kids in a heartbeat, Sonia! 🙂 Thanks for stopping by my little room on the web, and for taking the time to comment. Blessings to you!
Beautifully said! And thanks for the reminder that it is “God’s zeal, not mine” that I should rely on. He always does it perfectly, and my own zeal fizzles out…or carries me in the wrong direction. Looking forward to more of your posts! Blessings,
Thank you for the comment, Abby! Until I read your comment, I sort of forgot how often my zeal and enthusiasm will carry me off in a direction I don’t need to travel. I think I tend to struggle more with never starting or becoming discouraged so I quit before I am done, but I have definitely found myself in some strange places when my emotions carried me away. Blessings!
Hey Paige,
Congrats on completing the challenge. I was kind of sad to see the Z post. I have very much enjoyed reading your posts and I truly hope you continue to write and post for all of us to read. Thanks taking this challenge and sharing. God has truly blessed you with a wonderful writing talent.
Karen 🙂
Thanks, Karen! I am definitely planning to continue blogging away. Not daily, but my new goal is 2-3 times each week.I’m glad you were reading! You definitely need to come visit soon. 🙂
Congratulations! I’m so glad I found your blog through the A-Z Challenge. Your posts are truly a blessing! I’m looking forward to reading more from you.
I feel the same, Sara … God introduced me to some great Christians, wonderful writers and beautiful encouragers during April. I’m really thankful you are one of them!
You did it! You did it! ….. God did it. He did it. …. God used you to do it. Great job babe.
Thanks to you, Jon Hamilton, for putting up with me writing all the time during April … and for editing my work (esp. when I didn’t like it), for listening while I clarified my thoughts out loud before trying to write the whole thing down, for encouraging me to find humor, for reminders that I am writing to please God and no one else. Without you next to me, I couldn’t have done this at all. You were like those standing next to Moses, holding up his arms as he lifted them high. I am really glad God gave me you!