Back to Basics: Make ‘em laugh

 

“Laughter is a universal language,” writes Chuck Swindoll. “The power of humor to build rapport is . . .  profound. . . . When handled with care, humor will also endear you to your audiences [readers], who will then give you greater access to their hearts.” (Saying it Well: Touching Others with Your Words)

 

You know Chuck’s right. Think back to a time when an author or speaker made you laugh. Charmed you. Beguiled you.

 

The two of you might never have met. Perhaps it was a performer, an athlete, an author, or a conference speaker—but after laughing you felt admiration, maybe even a link. His personality shined through. You enjoyed him. You liked him. You felt like you knew her, approved of her, and would like to spend time with her.

 

Laughter is a bonder, a connector.

Humor offers readers a shared experience.

 

That’s why the “laugh” part of  “Make ‘em cry, make ‘em laugh, make ‘em wait” is important for writers to grasp.

 

Wilkie Collins gets credit for that advice, and writers and speakers follow that for obvious reasons: It keeps audiences engaged.

 

Here’s an example of how humor can endear you to your reader.

 

I once read an article about what could have been a boring subject—a winter squash soup. But the article was no yawner. See for yourself:

 

“I found myself under a misty night sky, the brick patio glistening with rain under the light of the crescent moon. 

 

“I raised a giant Kabocha [squash] over my head, gave out a shriek for good measure and hurled it into the brick. It was primal. . . .

 

“The husk broke loose, and I gathered the sweet orange chunks and returned to my warm kitchen. . . .

 

“There was something exhilarating about starting a pot of autumn soup by howling in the moonlight.” (Betsy Wharton, The Peninsula Daily News)

 

You smiled. I know you did. Some of you even chuckled.

 

You feel you know Betsy, at least a little,

after catching a glimpse of her shrieking

and howling in the moonlight.

 

Humor makes you, the author, feel real to readers.

 

Humor can also lighten the mood during stressful segments of your memoir. When writing about heavy topics—heartbreak, tragedy—humor can give readers a break.

 

Laughter lets readers catch their breath and regroup.

Humor can provide much-needed perspective and balance.

 

In composing my memoir, Grandma’s Letters from Africa, I’d been writing about witnessing (from a distance) inconceivable massacres that raged for months in neighboring African nations.

 

I continued writing about many colleagues who evacuated to Nairobi, Kenya, where my husband and I lived. For months we had prayed for those dear people, housed one of them, and welcomed a couple of them to join us for Christmas.

 

We listened to their stories, wept with them, and welcomed their children to our school.

 

Even though our missionary colleagues evacuated, we agonized over continuing bloodbaths Africans were inflicting upon each other.

 

The daily relentlessness left me numb.

 

Then things got worse.

Violent protests began near our office

and home in Nairobi.

 

Our world was spinning out of control.

 

And right there in the middle of it, I wrote a light-hearted vignette about my midnight fights with mosquitoes—about holding my own mock-violent protest over those most irritating insects in our apartment.

 

My silly little drama didn’t seem out of place in my memoir because that was how real life was happening at the time: In the midst of danger and chaos, wacky incidents popped up. (And I was thankful to laugh about something. Ya can’t cry all the time!) The mosquito vignetted offered a breather to both me, the writer, and my readers.

 

Antoinette Truglio-Martin captured the idea well when she said,

 

“Storytellers need to find  a chuckle

in between the drama and the sobs.”

 

Search for ways to make readers laugh—or giggle, or maybe snicker, or at least smile—in your memoir.

 

• Humor can add much-needed balance, respite from intense chapters in your story. (Click on Lisa Romeo’s post, “How to Add Humor to a Sad Memoir.”)
• It can enliven what could be a less-than-riveting topic, like Betsy Wharton’s cooking squash.
• And it can shine light on your personality and help readers feel connected with you. And that means they’ll be more likely to grasp your memoir’s important lessons and messages.

 

Back to basics: What is a Memoir?

 

If you’re thinking about writing a memoir, you need to know the definition of “memoir.”

 

And if you’re already writing your story, sometimes you need to remind yourself what a memoir is. This helps focus correctly and work efficiently.

 

A memoir is so much more than spinning yarns and telling tales.

 

Since there’s some confusion about the genre of memoir, let’s pin down what it is not: Memoir is not journaling. A journal is private—for your eyes only—but you write a memoir for others to read.

 

A memoir is not an autobiography. An autobiography documents your whole life beginning with the day you were born, but a memoir focuses on one segment of your life—(1) a specific theme or (2) a time period, a slice of life.

 

You can write a memoir based on a theme—for example, the theme of working as a seamstress in Asia, or a food vender at Seattle’s T-Mobile Park, or a stepmother to six kids. 

 

Focus on only that theme, leaving out other topics—such as the fact that you might be friends with a famous movie producer, or that you worked at an animal shelter your first year after college.

 

Or you can write a memoir based on a time period. My first memoir, Grandma’s Letters from Africa, covers my first four years in Africa. My second memoir, Please, God, Don’t Make Me Go: A Foot-Dragger's Memoir, focuses on three years in South America.

 

Another person’s time period might be his teenage years, or the years following a spouse’s death, or service in the Peace Corps. We focus only on that slice of our lives and leave out other topics.

 

We include only those details that pertain to our chosen window of time or our memoir’s theme.

 

Personal reflection is a key ingredient in memoir. Remember that. Most of us need to work on understanding what reflection is because, as Richard Foster observes, “The sad truth is that many authors simply have never learned to reflect substantively on anything.”

 

So, memoirists reflect in a deliberate way:

 

You look back,

peel away layers,

excavate,

find the gems.

Dig them out in pieces if you must, 

but dig them out.

Inspect.

Examine those gems,

ponder their deeper meaning.

Spend as much time as you need 

to make sense of what you discover.

Uncover the deeper, higher, wider, richer story.

 

In the past you might have overlooked something of the utmost importance, so make time to search for those profound lessons—insights, healing, blessings—in the events of your life.

 

In the process, you might need to do a “Doggie Head Tilt,” a phrase Michael Metzger coined. “If your head never tilts,” he says, “your mind never changes.” True!

 

In the process of reflecting, answer these questions:

• What new things have I learned about myself because of the key events of my life?
• What new things did I learn about significant people in my life? About God?
• How have these discoveries made me into a different, better person?

 

Not all memoirs include a spiritual dimension.

 

But if you are writing a spiritual memoir, keep this in mind: It does not require that you have exceptional, supernatural religious stories to write about, stories that would make the evening news and get tweeted around the world. Instead, look for ways God was involved in your everyday life.

 

You don’t have to write about God in every chapter. Whether you realized it at the time or not, He was with you, busy working out His good plans for His children—and from time to time in your stories you can spell out what He was doing. And do so in a winsome way, rather than sounding holier-than-thou.

 

Jesus said,

“Go tell your family everything God has done for you”

(Luke 8:39).

 

Write your memoirs!

 

Does your memoir have a title yet?

 

Have you chosen a title for your memoir? You can give it a working title even if you haven’t finished polishing your manuscript.

 

Most of us spend a long time pinning down exactly the right title so start now on yours, knowing you might change it later.

 

Ask yourself the following when searching for your title:

 

• What is my memoir’s theme or recurring themes—my memoir’s message?
• What is my story’s key turning point?
• Can I link my title to a popular book title? (The last time I checked, book titles cannot be copyrighted but, nevertheless, craft your own similar title.)
• Is there a famous quote or Bible verse that summarizes my memoir’s message?
• Who is my audience (who is most likely to buy my book)? Use key words to catch potential readers’ attention.

 

Kathy Pooler offers good advice in her blog post “Choosing the right title for your memoir” In it, she leads us through steps she took in crafting her memoir’s title.

 

She asked herself:

 

• Is the title catchy?
• Does the title strike at the heart of my story?
• Does my title reveal my promise to the reader?
• Does the title create interest for the reader?

 

Jerry Waxler, in his blog post, “How to Pick the Best Title for Your Memoir,” says we need to “consider all the work a title has to do. A great title helps potential readers buy the book, love it to the last page and then recommend it to friends.”

 

Jerry says, “the title is the first line of marketing.” A title can make or break a sale.

 

Think about how you decide which books to buy: The first thing you notice is the title, right?

 

If the title doesn’t appeal to you, you put the book back on the shelf. You want a book that makes you curious, attracts you, draws you in, and makes it impossible to put it back on the shelf.

 

If the title does grab your attention, then, if you’re like me, you read the back cover for more info, and you open the book and read endorsements. But remember, it was the title that inspired you to do so. That’s why your title is so important.

 

Above, Kathy asks, “Does my title reveal my promise to the reader?” and Jerry says it this way: “Reading a book is like entering a contract with the author, and the terms of that contract are summarized in the . . . title. Every time a reader sits down to read, the title goes through their mind, evoking an image that pulls them back into the story.”

 

My first memoir had several working titles. I played around with Confessions of a Baby Boomer: Letters from Africa because the organization I worked with was interested in using the book to recruit Baby Boomers, empty-nesters, and mid-lifers. The words Baby Boomer are key words that could catch the attention of our targeted audience.

 

But that title didn’t feel just right. Next, I tried out Quaint I Ain’t: Grandma’s Letters from Africa, because, from the book’s preface: “I discovered I was not the traditional, quaint little grandmother I always envisioned. No, I had stumbled into adventures most grandmas couldn’t imagine—a hippo charged me, a baboon pooped in my breakfast, a Maasai elder spit at me, and I drank tea from a pot cleaned with cow’s urine.” 

But that title didn’t feel right, either—to me or to those who knew me. “Ain’t” is a word I’ve never used, and some acquaintances were shocked that I would use it.

 

In the end, I chose Grandma’s Letters from Africa for two reasons: (1) The memoir was a collection of letters I wrote to my granddaughter, and (2) I hoped potential readers would connect my title with Isak Dinesen/Karen Blixen’s Letters from Africa. My husband and I lived near Karen’s home and coffee farm, both of which were central in the famous movie, Out of Africa. (Sigh….)

 

Come back next week when we’ll explore more about choosing your memoir’s title. In the meantime, choose a working title, knowing you can and probably will change it later. Your working title will help you discover your final title.

 

An opportunity for you: Free online memoir workshop

They still have a few openings for this workshop. Join us! 

On Saturday, April 17, I’ll offer a free online memoir-writing workshop. Here’s the press release:

Writers of Warrensburg to host online workshop

Writers of Warrensburg is hosting “Making Memoirs: Even YOU Can Write One!” an online workshop April 17 featuring Linda Thomas, local author, speaker and memoirist.

With this workshop suited to beginners through authors with a manuscript seeking to publish, all will learn the steps and pitfalls of crafting a memorable memoir.

Whether the subject of a memoir has led an ordinary or extraordinary life, Thomas has the knowledge to help writers better share their stories.

Thomas, her husband and their youngsters lived in Colombia, South America, for three years working with Wycliffe Bible Translators. Her memoir, Please, God, Don’t Make Me Go: A Foot-Dragger’s Memoir, captures both the joys and challenges of living in a remote locale targeted by Marxist guerrillas.

Later, she and her husband, as empty-nesters, took an eight-year assignment in Africa. Her memoir, Grandma’s Letters from Africa, covers her first four years working as a missionary journalist.

Thomas’ work has appeared in newspapers, magazines, newsletters and blog posts. Learn more at her blog, Spiritual Memoirs 101. 

This free event is a two-hour session with Thomas and access to materials is provided. A computer capable of video and audio connection is required for the session.

Questions and enrollment may be made to Administrator G.A. Edwards at gaedwards1@earthlink.net or 660-362-0014.

Writers of Warrensburg is a local group dedicated to furthering the skills of authors by providing information on writing craft, publication practices and effective marketing strategy. All are welcome at free online meetings on the first and third Tuesdays of each month.

More information about Writers of Warrensburg and writing resources is available at writersofwsbg.weebly.com.

Contributed by Writers of Warrensburg.

An opportunity for you: Free online memoir workshop

 

On Saturday, April 17, I’ll offer a free online memoir-writing workshop. Here’s the press release:

 

Writers of Warrensburg to host online workshop

 

Writers of Warrensburg is hosting “Making Memoirs: Even YOU Can Write One!” an online workshop April 17 featuring Linda Thomas, local author, speaker and memoirist.

 

With this workshop suited to beginners through authors with a manuscript seeking to publish, all will learn the steps and pitfalls of crafting a memorable memoir.

 

Whether the subject of a memoir has led an ordinary or extraordinary life, Thomas has the knowledge to help writers better share their stories.

 

Thomas, her husband and their youngsters lived in Colombia, South America, for three years working with Wycliffe Bible Translators. Her memoir, Please, God, Don’t Make Me Go: A Foot-Dragger’s Memoir, captures both the joys and challenges of living in a remote locale targeted by Marxist guerrillas.

 

Later, she and her husband, as empty-nesters, took an eight-year assignment in Africa. Her memoir, Grandma’s Letters from Africa, covers her first four years working as a missionary journalist.

 

Thomas’ work has appeared in newspapers, magazines, newsletters and blog posts. Learn more at her blog, Spiritual Memoirs 101.

 

This free event is a two-hour session with Thomas and access to materials is provided. A computer capable of video and audio connection is required for the session.

 

Questions and enrollment may be made to Administrator G.A. Edwards at gaedwards1@earthlink.net or 660-362-0014.

 

Writers of Warrensburg is a local group dedicated to furthering the skills of authors by providing information on writing craft, publication practices and effective marketing strategy. All are welcome at free online meetings on the first and third Tuesdays of each month.

More information about Writers of Warrensburg and writing resources is available at writersofwsbg.weebly.com.

Contributed by Writers of Warrensburg.

 

“Make ‘em cry, make ‘em laugh, make ‘em wait.”

“Make ‘em cry, make ‘em laugh, make ‘em wait.” 

Wilkie Collins (1824-1889) gets credit for that advice, though he said he borrowed the idea from the music hall; some speculate he borrowed it from Dickens. 

Whatever its origin, speakers and writers follow that advice for obvious reasons: it keeps audiences engaged. 

In writing your memoir, then, “make ‘em cry, make ‘em laugh, make ‘em wait.” 

I prefer to change Collins’ order—I like to make ‘em laugh before I make ‘em cry. 

Humor endears you to your reader. 

Humor makes you seem real. You are no longer a vague author lurking in shadows. Instead, your reader has spent a happy time with you and, as a result, she likes you. She wants to know you better. 

If you doubt that, think back to a time when a stranger charmed you because he made you laugh. The two of you might never have met—perhaps he was a performer or athlete, or maybe a conference speaker—but after laughing together you felt admiration and probably even a bond. His personality shined through and you enjoyed him. You liked him. You’d like to spend time together. 

Laughter is

a universal language,

a common connector,

a shared experience. 

I once read an article about a boring subject—a winter squash soup recipe—but the article was no yawner. See for yourself in this excerpt: 

“I found myself under a misty night sky, the brick patio glistening with rain under the light of the crescent moon. I raised a giant Kabocha [squash] over my head, gave out a shriek for good measure and hurled it onto the brick. It was primal.… The husk broke loose, and I gathered the sweet orange chunks and returned to my warm kitchen.… There was something exhilarating about starting a pot of autumn soup by howling in the moonlight.” (Betsy Wharton, The Peninsula Daily News; emphasis mine) 

You smiled. I know you did. Some of you even chuckled. You feel you know Betsy, at least a little, after catching a glimpse of her shrieking and howling on her patio. 

Humor can also lighten the mood during stressful segments of your memoir. When writing about heartbreak, tragedy, and other heavy topics, inject humor occasionally. Something light gives readers a break. Laughter lets readers catch their breath and regroup. Humor can provide much-needed perspective and balance. 

In my first memoir, Grandma’s Letters from Africa, after writing about witnessing (from a distance) inconceivable atrocities that raged for months in neighboring nations in Africa, I poked fun at myself in a light-hearted vignette about my midnight fights with mosquitoes. 

I’d been writing about colleagues who eventually evacuated to Nairobi, Kenya, where my husband and I lived. For months we had prayed for them, housed one of them, and invited a couple of them to join us for Christmas. We welcomed their children into our school. We listened to their stories, wept with them, and prayed for them. 

Even though our colleagues were safe, we agonized over continuing massacres and mutilations Africans were inflicting upon each other. The daily relentlessness left all of us numb. 

Then things got worse: A segment of Nairobi’s population started violent protests near our office and home. It seemed like our world was spinning out of control. 

And right there in the middle of it, I held my own mock-violent protest about mosquitoes in our apartment. My silly little drama didn’t seem out of place in my memoir because that was how real life was happening at the time: In the midst of heightened tensions, worries, and heartaches, funny incidents popped up. (And I was thankful to laugh about something. Ya can’t cry all the time.) The mosquito vignette offered a breather to both my readers and me. 

In the future, we’ll look at making ‘em cry but, for now, search for ways to include a little humor in your memoir. 

Humor can enliven your memoir,

shine light on your personality,

and help readers feel acquainted with you.

 

Humor can also offer respite

from intense chapters in your story. 

 

Below you’ll find links about humor in your writing: 

Emily Drevet’s How to Be Funny With Well-Chosen Words 

Jeff Goins says humor is “…the difference between flat writing and dynamic communication.” Read more at Humor Writing for People Who Aren’tFunny 

Mark Nichols’ 20 Types and Forms of Humor [http://www.dailywritingtips.com/20-types-and-forms-of-humor/?utm_medium=facebook&utm_source=twitterfeed

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I did it! I hit the “send” button!

Reading time: 2 minutes, 26 seconds

Yesterday was the day I'd dreamed of for years. I hit the “send” button and shipped my manuscript off to the publishing company. I'm talking about my new memoir, Please, God, Don't Make Me Go! A Foot-Dragger's Memoir.

Here's the book description from the back cover:

What’s a comfortable—and cowardly—suburbanite to do when her husband wants to move their young family to Colombia, South America, so he can teach missionaries’ kids?

Linda K. Thomas has always planned to chase the American dream. Adventure doesn’t appeal to her, and she’s ill-equipped for missions work. She begs God, “Please, don’t make me go!” but after months of soul-searching, she hears Him say, “Go!”

So, with flimsy faith and wobbly courage, she sets out with her husband and kids on a life-changing adventure at the end of the road in the middle of nowhere with Wycliffe Bible Translators.

When culture shock, tropical heat, and a boa constrictor threaten to undo Linda, she’s tempted to run away and hike back to the U.S. Instead, she fights to settle in and soon falls in love with her work alongside modern-day heroes of the faith disguised as regular folks. God has sent her where she didn’t know she wanted to go.

Once life is under control and easy, she gets a surprise—a request to go to one of the world’s most dangerous drug-dealing regions where hundreds of people have lost their lives. Colombia is perilous in other ways, too. Marxist guerrillas don’t like Americans or missionaries, proving it with bombs, kidnapping, and eventually murder.

Linda won’t trust God to help her make the trip, and she can’t trust herself, either. Gripped by anxiety, she longs to stay in the only safe place, the mission center. She prays, “Please, God, don’t make me go!” But once again He urges, “Go!” Thus begins a fierce internal battle.

In this heartwarming, sometimes humorous, sometimes shocking memoir, you’ll walk alongside a young wife and mother as she faces two universal struggles: 

• choosing between her plans and God’s, and
• choosing faith and courage over fear and cowardice.

Please, God, Don’t Make Me Go! will motivate the timid to cancel membership in the Society of the Faint-Hearted, and it will inspire every reader to enjoy God more and embrace new adventures He dreams up.

I was ready to send the manuscript a year ago but ran into one technical problem after another after another. The past year has been a nightmare as far as technology goes. But I sure did learn a lot! Too bad using one's brain doesn't burn calories. . . .

When you're ready to publish, contact me and I'll share tips to help you avoid the snags I encountered. Publishing my first memoir, Grandma's Letters from Africa, was much easier than publishing this second one. I willingly chose the method I used this time. It's just that I bit off more than I could chew.

They say old age isn't for wimps. Let me assure you, writing and publishing a memoir isn't for wimps, either. 

Don't let me scare you out of publishing our own memoir. The bottom line is this: It is possible for you to write your memoir and get it published. Yes, it is. Never doubt that.

You just need to commit to doing it and seeing it through all the way until you're holding your memoir in your hands and thumbing through the pages. You can do this!

I nearly melt in tears when I think of all the people who helped me get the manuscript polished, the interior formatted, photos just right, and the cover designed (well, actually . . . ahem . . . redesigned). And I thank God for His help and for sending good people to walk me through the technical parts.

I admit it: I'm tuckered out.

For now, here's my encouragement to you:

Keep writing.

Keep praying while you write, too.

Check out the Facebook Page for
Please, God, Don't Make Me Go:
A Foot-Dragger's Memoir

Check out Experience Tells, memoir vignettes published in an ezine

Today we welcome guest blogger 

and my dear friend, Joyce Hyde, 

who, along with two friends, publishes memoir vignettes 

in an online magazine—or ezine. 

And what a coincidence: The ladies chose the same theme verse 

as ours here at SM 101, Deuteronomy 4:9!

Perhaps you’d like to choose this format 

for your stories, too. 

Check out Joyce’s post here and the ezine, 

Experience Tells. 

They will inspire you!

Welcome to SM 101, Joyce! Take it away!

For several years Carol Brinneman, Kristin Elkinton, and I worked closely together at a nonprofit to produce print and web communications. Carol is a highly qualified editor and writer. Kristin is a writer, and was, for many years, the manager of the department where I worked. I had written in the past, but in recent years I focused on graphic design using Adobe products such as Photoshop and InDesign.

We became friends and have much in common. We are Christians and have been missionaries most of our adult lives. We’ve all traveled a great deal and lived cross-culturally. Each of us has endured difficult times in our childhoods and adult lives as well.

In May 2015, I retired because my husband, for health reasons, needed me at home full time. Kristin had retired a few years earlier, but Carol was still working, though not full time.

We met for lunch, as we had done several times before, but this time the atmosphere was different. I don’t remember who brought the idea up first, but we started talking about wanting to do more with our lives. We all felt our calling from God was not over when our assignments ended, and we were not ready yet for a rocking chair on the porch!

The more we talked, the more the idea jelled that we should do something with the gifts God had given us. We had stories to tell of God’s blessing, correction, and provision. We felt we had survived it all and been privileged in the lives we’d led. Now we were concerned mothers and grandmothers who wanted to see our children, extended family, and friends thrive—in life and in a relationship with our Savior, Jesus Christ.

The timing was perfect. Adobe had just come out with Publish Online. This app allowed us to publish from Adobe InDesign and upload to the web at no cost. I told Carol and Kristin about this new possibility. We realized we had the platform, and the ability to do the magazine, but should we?

We went home and prayed, making sure this was something God wanted us to do. It was a huge commitment to publish a magazine regularly. We wanted to do an excellent job, and that takes lots of time. We met again and decided to go ahead, starting with the 2015 Christmas issue. We have now published six editions of our ezine, Experience Tells.

We chose as our theme verse Deuteronomy 4:9, “Only be careful, and watch yourselves closely so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen or let them fade from your heart as long as you live. Teach them to your children and to their children after them.” We hope we are accomplishing this goal with each issue.

I believe everything came together for us to start the magazine: timing, personnel, gifting, and desire. We have no idea how long we will continue, but when the time comes to stop, we will be grateful for the blessing of doing this together as friends.

All issues are on our Experience Tells website. Please visit our Facebook page, too, and like us.

Joyce and I and our husbands worked together 

for several years in Nairobi 

and explored the beauties of Kenya on our weekends. 

I can’t imagine living there without Joyce and Marvin—

our memories are indelible. 

Read about them in my memoir, 

Grandma’s Letters from Africa.

What do you need to remember?

Upside down.

Inside out.

I had turned my heart and my dreams upside down and inside out in order to say “yes” to God and move to Africa, far from my kids—and from future grandchildren I was sure would join our family soon.

Originally I had strongly resisted the move but over time, God helped me believe His dreams for me were better than my dreams, so my husband Dave and I set out for Africa—I was willing to go even though my heart felt shredded.

After only four months on African soil, I’d fallen in love with the place and her people, and Dave and I eagerly embraced our new ministries.

And then it happened.

We received word our first grandchild was on the way. The news ripped open my recently-healed wound and broke my heart: I didn’t want to miss out on knowing and enjoying my grandchild!

Suddenly I doubted, I questioned: Why, God, did You have to send me so far from home?

But then I remembered.

With a leaden, hammering heart, I took a deep breath and remembered:

I had given God many months to clarify whether He wanted us to move to Africa, and He said “yes.”  Only “yes.”

And I remembered:

On our way to Africa, we had spent a few days in England in an old World War II barracks. A poster in our dorm room displayed Psalm 126:5-6, “Those who sow in tears will reap with songs of joy. He who goes out weeping…will return with songs of joy.”

I pondered those words at length because I didn’t know what they meant for me specifically, but I did understand about tears—I had shed so on my way to Africa because I couldn’t see our kids, and now our new grandbaby, for four long years.

But what about tears turning to joy? Could I believe it? Would I believe it? Would I believe that God could turn my tears into joy?

I thought about it for a couple of days and then, there in our dark little barracks room in England, I stood before that poster and told God I’d give Him time to show me songs of joy in Africa. (from Grandma’s Letters from Africa, Chapter 3)

Four months later in Nairobi, with news of my first grandbaby, I did what Priscilla Shirer said: I raised my hands in surrender to my God, trusting Him for His best outcome for my life and that of my kids and grandkids.

I lifted my heart to God and recommitted myself to living where He placed me and to the role He had for me in Africa as well as in His larger agenda.

I told God, yet again, that I’d give Him time to turn my tears to joy.

Some of you have had heartaches—all because you said “yes” to God and His purposes. Initially you had set out with conviction and enthusiasm, but then something happened and turned your world upside down, and maybe you questioned God and doubted your decision to go where He pointed you.

What do you need to remember today?

Think back on your conversations with God—and write about them.

Remember how He confirmed His direction for your life—and write about it.

Remember what you committed to Him, and remember the Bible verses that inspired you to make that commitment—and write about all that.

Remember your joy in setting out—and write about it.

Remember all the ways God walked hand in hand with you when you stumbled through rough spots, through dread-filled times, through your anguish—and write about it.

Remember raising your hands in surrender to God, trusting Him for His best outcome for your life—and write about it.

And remember the ways He brought you to a new and good place—and write about all of that.

And take joy in your writing!