When I read my September
28th blog to my husband, he had me reread, "God doesn't allow things to
happen just because! He allows things to happen so we can chose! It's in the
choosing that we become. And it is through changing, refining, or narrowing our
choices that we know more about our self and if we're walking with God, more
about Him.” Ron blessed me by calling those words "profound." I was
happy to hear this comment, because I was beginning to think, as some of you
might have, that "Editing Blessings" was becoming sort of a...well,
you know almost a “Never ending Story.” So I’m glad to announce that in this
post you will experience the blessings as I did. Three in the Godhead: Adonai
(Father), Yeshua (Son), and Ruach
HaKodesh (Holy Spirit).
Although, I'm certain
that you know that one must need a 'God Blessing' before we
realize we've received one, I feel it important
to mention, in case you, like some I've meet haven't experienced this
type of blessing, which is very different from the way we might wish to be
blessed, or want to bless others. This is a blessing
we cannot earn and will never notice if we don't believe in
God. I call my "Editing Blessing in Three Parts" a 'God
Blessing' for I was in a pickle and left to my own abilities and connections
had no way to solve the problem.
When discussing a God
and His blessings, I believe it best to start with the problem. And mine, I
am certain you know by now, is my inability to edit. Couple that
short fall with an edit that I paid for, and assumed was done correctly and
which I spent more than I had to have done, and I'm certain you'll see that I
needed God to step in.
If you're wondering how
I got here, an author friend recommended the editor, so I assumed her to be amazing.
If this were not so, I would have found the fault mine. However, my error, and
I know it was mine, was not asking the editor if she would be working with me
until the edit was finished. Had I asked and heard that once
I received her notes we'd be done, I might have suspected that
something was wrong, and continued to look for someone who would commit to
seeing the project through. At least, I hope I would have done that. Hindsight
always being twenty-twenty, I don't know for sure if I would have, so it's a
moot point. All I do know is that if an author friend and I had not exchanged
manuscripts, mine would have been published with errors galore. Thank you Katie
Mettner, for letting me know that my manuscript was not ready for publication,
and for going one step further, and recommending an amazing editor who sees
each project through.
Having this editor’s
name and email address, I assumed I'd soon be in editing heaven. However,
wanting this fine wordsmith to understand why I need The Naomi Chronicles, Book
One, Beginning Anew edited in time for a pre-Thanksgiving release, I shared
that I was planning to use a certain PR firm. I was surprised when I received a
response letting me know that the editor would not work on my novel, though she
wanted to, because that company, unbeknownst to me, was offering to do things
Amazon did not allow. Not having any idea about the guidelines Amazon posted,
but planning to use Amazon's Create Space, I checked Amazon's guidelines,
and discovered my relationship with the group could have disastrous
consequences. This certainly didn't feel like a blessing...disengaging from
what was planned, letting down people that I had come to admire was difficult.
But then, not all ‘God Blessings’ are easy, ask Moses, or the Jew's who
wandered for forty years, or better yet, ask Messiah how
painful it was for Him to sacrifice Himself for us.
Finally able to move
forward with this editor, I had to wait my turn, just as I expected I would.
However, while waiting, I discovered that she was in pain, and in the hospital.
Not knowing what to do, but aware that her issue might take months to resolve,
and trying to keep to my self-imposed timetable, I asked Katie if she knew
another editor, and she did! This woman had not edited fiction, but she had
been editing for years. I sent my manuscript to her.
While waiting to discuss
the particulars, I remembered that another author friend, Jayna had gotten an
amazing edit. I say that because an acquisitions editor I know, and whose
opinion I trust said, "This is the best edited book I've ever
received!" So trying to find the editor God wanted me to have, and
having become painfully aware that my shortcomings could undermine the story
Naomi had gifted me, I asked Jayna. She sent me that editor’s email, and I
contacted this gentleman.
I hope you'll see the
triple blessing when I share that within twenty four hours, I received an email
from both editors who were eager to help me for a very modest fee since each
knew this was a reedit. Before I could choose, thanks be to God, the editor who
was fist recommended let me know she was alright and beginning the edit on my
book.
If you counted the
blessing within this post as I did when they occurred, I'm certain you noticed
more than three. I've written about three blessing because each editor was
ready to work with me, and when two were told that the one God lead me to was
able to do the edit, the other two told me that if I ever need their help, all
I had to do is ask. As I complete this writing,
I'm reminded of the words found in James 1:16 "But when you
ask, you must believe and not doubt." I believe! Do you?
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