When things don't go as planned

When Dreams are Dashed

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Everyone has disappointments—dreams dashed to the ground, along with their hopes. Not fun, is it? "Why me?" you and I say. Why not? No one is immune. We live in a sinful world with sinful people. But hold on. Sometimes, our dreams are smashed not because of an evil influence or mishap, but because God is orchestrating our lives, and has a better idea. 

***Please excuse the link format. For some reason, the website would not allow me to embed the links, but in retrospect, it fits with the theme of my post. Enjoy. . . 

This happened to me last week. I was attended the NRB modules.marriott.com/leisure/bnago-gaylord-opryland-resort-and-convention-center (National Religious Broadcasting) Convention  with high hopes that I might make good connections with podcasters or radio personnel who wanted to interview me about my middle-grade biblical fiction, The Heart Changer, or my work-in-progress for silver sisters who are stuck and need help moving forward as they age. I tentatively entitled it Flourishing and Fragrant: Living Abundantly in Your Seasoned Years. I also thought I might interest one of the four publishing houses, but only one showed any promise. But, that’s one!

God’s Plan is Far Better

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So, what happened?? Well, since no-one seemed interested in booking me for an interview, God nudged me to give away the 10 books I’d brought with me to a Representive at each booth featuring Israeli ministries. After all, my MC was an Israelite captive, wrenched from her home in a time of war, and forced to serve Naaman, commander of the Syrian army—well—brought to serve his wife, whom I named Adara. My desire was to bless some middle-grade Jewish/Israeli girl with a story of hope. So, although humanly speaking my dreams were smashed, God will bring a blessing from my book. 

While perusing the booths, I stopped at one giving samples of Beantage https://www.beantage.com/, coffee grown in Thailand. The girl was so sweet to talk about her product, then ask me why I was at the conference.  When I shared my book, she suddenly became animated. I could read joy all over her face! Ruth was an educator who loved reading, and desired to have good literature put in the hands of young students. In fact, she was a budding writer herself. I immediately encouraged her to look up AWSA (Advanced Writers and Speakers Association—the organization I was with at the conference) https://awsa.com/ where she could find support. As we finished our conversation, promising to connect in the future, I walked a few booths away, and then God nudged me (again) to give her my last copy of The Heart Changer. https://ambassador-international.com/books/the-heart-changer/ She was thrilled! It brought joy to my heart to encourage another educator who desires to put good books into the hands of young students, whether by purchasing or writing them. I just had to take a photo of this God moment!

Another Rude Awakening

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Although the Gaylord Opryland in Nashville https://modules.marriott.com/leisure/bnago-gaylord-opryland-resort-and-convention-center was a gorgeous hotel with tropical gardens, high-end shops and restaurants, the floorplan left something to be desired. For someone like me who has difficulty walking up and down stairs, this was not a user-friendly environment. Even though there were elevators available, one never knew which levels were accessible. There  were maps, but the atrium with its footpaths and bridges, made it a challenge to navigate. 

The Final Straw

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Dreams of a smooth trip home were dashed when our first flight to Charlotte was delayed, thus making me late to my next connection, even though I walked fast, and used the moving walkway. So—I was routed via Myrtle Beach, a 1.5-hour journey from our home, where my husband met me at 10:30 pm. Oh, and did I mention my luggage didn't accompany me? Nope. It was arriving at midnight, so I told the agent I would not be waiting for it. Thankfully, they are prepared and brought to my home the next morning. Who knew? 

God did. And I was grateful He brought me safely home, albeit exhausted. One never can anticipate what will happen at any one time. But, I have a heavenly Father who cares, and works all things together for good.

One fun note—Former President Trump was speaking at the NRB (I was not able to attend), so it was a treat to see his jet at the airport as our plane taxied out. I have a window seat passenger to thank for this photo!

What about you?? Have you had your dreams dashed lately? I'd love you to share your experience below. We can't expect everything to go smoothly in this life, but, if we belong to God’s family, He will turn it around for our benefit—and others!