Just Do It

I recently completed an 11-day writing challenge hosted by the Inspired Writers Clubhouse.

This wasn’t my first time with this group. I participated in their Fall writing challenge and found a lot of support and encouragement. Every day, I received a prompt. Every day I wrote and posted.

I had good intentions. But then “life” happened.

Again.

Still.

Months passed. “I don’t have time,” I told myself. Unexpected commitments kept coming, and soon I dropped the daily discipline I’d built.

When the announcement came for the Winter challenge, I hesitated at first. “You know what will happen, just like every other time before. Why do this again?”

Why not do this again?

The truth is, I have the same 24 hours in a day that everyone else does. More of that time than I care to admit was spent on social media. In fact, when our Pastor asked us to fast and pray the first 21 days of January, I knew immediately that one of those social media groups had to go.

I had time. If I really wanted to write, I could make time. Rearrange those proverbial stones and pebbles, drop the tyranny of the urgent, and focus on the important.

So I signed up.

Fast forward to a few days after the challenge ended. I was in church, and the speaker was preparing to dismiss the service.

“Before we go, I’d like a few of you to tell me a dream you want to revive this year.”

He smiled as no one spoke. “Okay, I’ll call on a few of you.”

I sat quietly, hoping to avoid eye contact. “Don’t pick me… please don’t let him pick me.”

But I knew what my answer would be.

The first day of the challenge, I wrote this:

This winter, I choose faith. 

I have wanted to write since childhood. 

My dream is to step from “writer” to “author.”
  
I know I have the talent, a gift to whom I credit the Father who gives every good and perfect gift. 

But as much as I pray for help, I’m still struggling in my sixth decade, trying to figure out how to “do this.”

For far too long, my focus has been on “hows” and “whys” and technicalities.

I’ve ripped the paper off the package in segmented spurts. 

I’ve opened the box, pulled out the content, and then set it aside, time after time.

No more. 

This winter I choose to have faith to fully accept and use this gift as the Giver intended.

With God’s help, I will.

_{Copyright 2026 lifeatroomtemperature.com Sherry A Hathaway. All rights reserved.}