Posts
Tuesday, October 6
I’m privileged to entice you to sit back and enjoy a great post today by my guest-friend blogger, K. M. (Katie) Weiland, author of the new book Behold the Dawn. If you’d like to have your name put in the pool for the drawing of the book, just leave a comment at the end of the post. Here are Katie’s insights…
The dedication of my recently released medieval novel Behold the Dawn reads in part, “To my beloved Savior, who has given us a fresh beginning in each new day. May we always have the strength to reach out and grasp that perfect gift.”
When I began writing this novel five years ago, I had no idea how much the story would teach me about my own life and my walk with the Lord. Perhaps not so ironically, the theme of Behold the Dawn—that each new day holds the opportunity to redeem yesterday’s mistakes and begin afresh—was a lesson I faced on an almost hourly basis during the writing of this book.
When we are born anew into the Spirit, we are given a clean slate, a brand new life, cleansed of all our mistakes and sins, both deliberate and accidental. But as the years slip by, it’s so easy to forget the beauty of that snow-white gift in the face of our continuing blunders.
When we are saved by the blood of Christ, we are released from the weight of our own defiance and stupidity—but we aren’t transformed into perfect beings who will never again sully ourselves with a mistake. Speaking for myself, mistakes are an hourly occurrence.
When I pause at night before bed to say one last prayer and look back over my progress (or lack thereof) during the day, there is inevitably something I regret. Some thoughtless word, some deliberate act of selfishness, some weakness in the face of temptation. I look at what I have to offer my Lord at the end of my day, and I am ashamed at its tarnished paltriness. Heartsick that, once again, I failed to do better, I hand one more day over to Him and fall into bed.
And what do I get in exchange for my pitiful little offering? I get the indescribable gift of a New Day.
In the 1985 movie adaptation of Anne of Green Gables, Anne Shirley (Megan Follows) comments, “Tomorrow is always fresh with no mistakes in it.” Is there not an indescribable wonder in that? When I began writing Behold the Dawn, I knew I would be telling a story of redemption. I knew I wanted to tell the story of the world-weary knight Marcus Annan, who had spent most of his life broken beneath the weight of both the mistakes in his past and those continuing in his present.
What I didn’t know was that this story would necessarily lead me to articulate the beautiful truth that to have our lives redeemed by our submission to the Lord means that every single one of our days must also be redeemed.
We aren’t just given one shot at starting over. We’re given the endless gift of a million dawns, a million new days, a million chances to put the past behind us and begin anew. Even with the power of Christ in our lives, we will never live in perfection this side of eternity. But we can gladly relinquish the burden of each day’s mistakes. We can surrender them, throw them into the wastebasket like so many crumpled pieces of paper, and try again tomorrow.
My heart overflows with the joy of that knowledge, and I am so grateful and humbled that the Lord let me share this beautiful truth in my fiction. Although my representation of such an immense topic as redemption and grace must necessarily be flawed, I hope readers will be able to see past the dross and take away a few flakes of the gold at the story’s heart.
And perhaps Marcus Annan and company will leave their impact on their lives, as they most definitely have on mine.
I hope you’ve been blessed by my friend Katie’s post. If you’d like to check out her website, you’ll find her at Wordplay or at AuthorCulture.
If you’d like to purchase her book, here’s the link to Amazon.
Beautiful, Katie! It just boggles my mind that He not only redeems us once, He redeems us daily--even moment by moment.
Beholding God and all new dawns with you,
Sandy
P.S. Hi Lynn. :)
Christians aren't perfect, just forgiven, but this explains it better than anything I've ever read. No surprise there! :) Great post, Katie.
I removed my previous comment because I can't type this morning and I didn't see an edit button. :(
@Sandra: Amen! Thank God that He's a God of second chances.
@Lorna: I like that saying a lot. 'Cuz perfection gets boggled every time I have to take a long hard look at myself.
"Looks like an awesome book please put me in the drawing" thumbs up!
The book cover is gorgeous! I love Anne of Green Gables, that hooked me in too. I can't get enough of God's second chances (and third, and fourth, etc.)
Sign me up!
@Paul: Thanks! Good luck in the drawing!
@Deborah: I've actually been watching the Anne of Green Gables series over the weekend. The movies are *almost* as good as the books.
Katie, and Lynn, thank you both for this reminder of God's amazing good. May He continue to bless you both!
-Tony
You're a gifted daughter of the King, Katie! If Behold the Dawn is even a fraction as insightful as this post, I'm sure your readers will come away richly blessed!
Keep up the awesome work,
Becky
@Tony: I'm glad you took something away from it! Thanks for reading.
@Becky: I appreciate that very much. But if whatever paltry amount of insight I have to offer is a gift from God in itself!
What a thought provoking post. In the larger picture of eternity and eternal redemption, it's so easy to lose sight of the redemption of not only each day, but each hour, each moment, each second.
Those individual moments in time are when we face the greatest challenges and yet we forget that each of those moments is also covered by Christ's blood and by redemption.
Thanks, K.M., for the reminder.
Amen! Thank God that He's big enough to handle every tiny moment of our lives.
Katie, that was a moving post.
I think your words here speak to every Christian. I know I've had that feeling that Dad was going to crush me for the failure of a day I handed Him.
But He doesn't crush us. He loves us.
Praise God for each morning he gives you.
Sing praise to the Lord, you saints of His, and give thanks at the remembrance of His holy name.
For His anger is but for a moment, His favor is life; Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning.
Didn't know this book was 5 years in the making. Wow.
Sign me up too. *raises hand* Pick me! :-)
Easily one of my (million) favorite verses! Thanks for bringing it up.
And, yes, five years. Long time, huh? I'm a slow, methodical, plodding kinda person. ;)
That is a great way of putting it, Katie. What a great reminder. I too am ever so thankful for the blessing of fresh new days!
Me too! Life would become a snowball of bleakness without them.
I enjoyed the message of hope, of each day being a new beginning. I also remind myself that "by the gift of grace are we saved, not works, lest any man should boast." Eph 2:8.
It reminds me to give up on any hope of being perfect and anything I do for my Lord is out of love; it is all I really have to offer.
Lisanq
www.lisagracebooks.com
Gotta feel a little sorry for perfectionists, even as we admire them... always striving toward the impossible. But, then, by the grace of God, we *will* achieve it on the far side of heaven!
I really enjoyed this Katie! Keep on doing the great work that you're doing! May God bless your efforts!
Thanks, Rachel!de
Awesome! I loved the trailer as well as the post. Very interesting concept on the story and a sprititual gift included as well. Wonderful.
Thanks, Cecilia! I'm adamantly against "preachy" fiction, but I love stories that have a strong thematic element - something that leaves the reader with something to chew on long after he's finished the story.
Thanks for stopping by, Jester!
There are days when I feel like, "Who am I to think I have something to say to the world, something people want to hear?" And yet, I know my Lord values me beyond anything I can imagine, and those who listen to me most will also be His children.
Katie, your success and writing skill makes me stand back in awe. Thank you for an inspiring post.
~ VT
Thanks, Victor. But whatever skill I have is a gift from Him. I'm just trying my best to use it responsibly.
This is on my list for future reading!
Thanks, Pegg! I hope you enjoy it.
As I read Katie's post, I was refreshed in my spirit by the words
the Psalmist David said in that,, the steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, His mercies never will come to an end; they are new every morning...what an amazing God we have encountered!
His heart flows out to us with every new day...waiting for us as we awake to His ever tender mercies..He waits for us simply to love us and wrap us in His presence
to give of Himself for our success; spiritually and physically.. to know Him intimately is His desire for us and I am sure this book touches the heart of God as He is glorified and expressed...
the best to you with your new book!
I like the lyrics to Chris Rice's song "Smellin' Coffee": "Last thing I remember sayin’ bye to yesterday
Glad to see it over, pullin’ covers over my head
But what were You doin’ while I dreamt the night away
‘Cause I can tell that somethin’s different and
My eyes ain’t even open yet
I’m smellin’ coffee, birds are singin’ just outside
Here comes Your mercy streamin’ in with the morning light
My heart is racin’, wakin’ up to You’re smile
It’s a good mornin’, good mornin’
I remember readin’ You’re the God who never sleeps
And while I’ve been dreamin’ You’ve been singin’ over me, yeah
Singin’ about my freedom, wakin’ me up to hear Your song
Now I can’t dance hard enough
‘Cause yesterday is gone, gone, gone!
I’m smellin’ coffee, birds are singin’ just outside
Here comes Your mercy streamin’ in with the morning light."
Congratulations, Pegg Thomas! We've drawn your name as the winner of the book giveaway. I'll be contacting you for your address in just a minute!
Katie, that is beautiful. You have such a way with words!!! Thank you for the wonderful reminder of fresh starts. Love you...
Thanks, Anna! Love you too. :)