Fallen Treasure

For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.

Romans 11:29

            “Daddy do you think it will still be there?” the little girl said while tugging on the end of her silver bracelet. She held tight to a small brown paper bag when she spoke.

            Her father looked down on golden strands that were pulled back into a ponytail. “I sure hope so,” he said. He stood on the curb of the parking lot with the strength of one brave enough to cart three of his little girls to the grocery store all by himself. The father looked both ways and carefully took his first step. Two of the girls followed while the third perched onto his left hip. She gripped the arm of his T-shirt with joyful vigor. The father nuzzled his nose into her soft locks and continued across the busy parking lot.

            I had just finished loading my own groceries into the back of our vehicle. The metal wheels of the cart rattled along the pavement as I traveled the exaggerated distance to find its designated spot. Thoughts of dinner plans and other evening items pulled on me after a long day. Just as I pondered the feel of a bubble bath, I heard it. One tiny coin hit the pavement, piercing through the dull roar of the parking lot. I turned back toward the little family. And then another fell, and another, until a flood of coins rained down around the father’s ankles, making a splashing sound with every bounce.

            I made no sudden movement, no noise really, and headed straight for the disaster. By now the young father was working to collect each coin, coaching his daughters to stay on the sidewalk while he worked with careful concentration. The job seemed insurmountable as drivers pulled their cars right up to the scene, clearly wanting to pass.

            The money wasn’t the reason I rushed over to help. Nor did it have to do with the disappointment of a little girl so much. It was the ache of a father that I connected with. As a parent myself, I understood how it felt to want to shield your child from that kind of disappointment. This was his daughter’s treasure and she was getting ready to cash in on her dream. He was determined to try and scoop up every coin he could.

            I worked as quickly as I could, but with a great amount of calmness. Each quarter, dime and nickel felt smooth and warm in my hand. The father chuckled a little with embarrassment and mumbled something about doubling the bag next time. And as I worked along side of another complete stranger, I felt something shift. We dropped the coins into the father’s cupped hands and his awkwardness was replaced with what looked to be deep gratitude. The man seemed amazed that somebody would care enough to stop and help.

            I don’t know what that little girl was set to buy with her savings that day. Perhaps there was a goldfish waiting for her at the pet store. Or maybe she’d finally saved up enough to buy a special necklace for her mom. Or perhaps she had her sights set on a month’s worth of bubble gum. But what I do know is that her father cared very much about making sure his little girl’s treasure would be collected and cashed in—at all costs.

            The Bible says that we have a Heavenly Father too. He cares very much about the things we treasure. Do you have a dream you’ve wanted to cash in but circumstances have made it feel impossible? Do you find pieces of it scattered at your feet with no way of gathering it all back up? If it’s something your Father has always intended to give you, rest assured. He will move the hearts of ordinary people and grant favor to help you when you least expect it.

            My dream is to become a best-selling novelist and to teach at writers' conferences all over the country. There, I said it. And it felt good to let a little of it spill out. 

            What about you? Do you have a dream you’ve been saving up for?

           

           

Traditional vs. Indie Publishing

When I arrived at my very first writers' conference back in the spring of 2009, I can remember feeling amazed by two things. One being the beauty of our backdrop in the Santa Cruz mountains and two being the myriad of possibilities for anybody who might be interested in pursuing this thing called publication.  

There were greeting card companies looking for the next tearjerker and devotional publications working to reach the entire globe. Among an array of mind-blowing workshops stood literary agents and book editors much like the giant redwoods—each one felt larger than life. But somehow I found the courage to actually speak to a few of them (after practicing on the trees). What I can remember back then, aside from having somebody I deemed important encourage me, was that the general consensus about self-publishing came to this. It was frowned upon.

There was a very good reason for this, so the professionals explained. Many authors who were not able to get their material considered by a traditional publisher, decided to go their own way. As a result, several books were self-published but because they didn’t have the touch of a professional editor or the influence of a literary agent, many of these works, well … they stunk.

That is not the case seven years later. As I’ve kept a toe dipped into this ever-changing industry, I’ve seen that self-publishing went from almost taboo to an acclaimed alternative for some writers. Indie publishing, I've learned, can mean one of two things. It can be referring to a smaller publishing house that acquires niche material. But the term has also been used for those individuals who have taken the self-publishing route. Can you see why it is so easy to get tangled up in all of this?

Indie publishing (in the context of self-publishing) has forged a new path for authors who have written a book that might not fit the mainstream market. The excellences with which these independent publishers work nowadays provide top-of-the-notch material close and even comparable to the books traditional publishers are cranking out.

I’ve gone back and forth on the issue, and most days I find myself still wavering. I value the effort of anybody who would be brave enough to sit down and write an entire book. And regardless of which path that book takes to find its typeset and shiny cover, there is a reader out there just waiting to be entertained and changed by it. The behind-the-scenes stuff really is God’s business anyway.

I completed my first novel in January. I had the privilege of presenting it in book proposal form to some of the important people among the giant redwoods, who in turn, asked to read the entire manuscript. I won’t lie, I am really hoping find a literary agent who will take me by the hand and lead toward the path of traditional publishing. It’s always been a dream of mine. But if my carefully placed words find a different means of completion, I know that I can trust that too.

There is so much that could be added to this subject. I’d love to hear your take on things. Are you a fan of traditional or indie publishing? And as a reader, does any of it matter to you?