The Tangled Web

My thoughts, before they are my own
Are to my God distinctly known;
He knows the words I mean to speak
Ere from my opening lips they break.
~~Isaac Watts

I have gone through many seasons of disappointment and even discouragement about my various writing projects. This work is one of them. Our Lord has made it clear to me that any thoughts of publishing the companion to Aunt Jane's Hero need to be abandoned. I realized it some time ago, but it was a difficult realization. There were several other disappointments and somehow it all got wrapped up in my neglect of this beloved blog. It has always been the favorite of all my blogs, but I suppose the state of my heart with respect to writing in general, Speakable Gifts publications in particular, somehow implicated "Scraps of Glory" in the mix. I don't believe that our Lord would have it be so. In fact, I do not believe He has been pleased with me in this.

So, I am not only picking up my dear "Scraps" again, but also my little thoughts, or notes if you would, from my companion work for this priceless Prentiss gem. None of the other issues I've been dealing with have been resolved, but the many months of delight I took in pouring my heart into Horace and Maggie and the others need not go totally to waste. I can still share bits and pieces of the fruit of those precious "labors" here.

Not too many people come here anymore. There was a time when many did. It's obviously a further proof of the often unfortunate results of neglect. That includes all types of neglect. But we won't get into that. Let's just say a few words about chapter 8 of this dear book, and pick up and go on. Let's see what God determines to do with what we do here in the days to come, if anything. Thankfully, that's His call, as is all of everything His call. As always, I don't know how often we'll make posts in this series, but we'll see.

Now to Chapter 8, very briefly. The most noticeable thing about this chapter is all of the entanglements of misconception and uncertainty. It's a chapter of high emotions, particularly on the part of Horace and Maggie, and unfortunately, these two young folks are ensnared by their own intensity of feelings. Annie is caught up in the web of confusion as well and a new primary character, Tom White, is promptly woven into the network. You enter the chapter with an array of inaccurate conclusions among the principals and when the occurrences of this segment are over, you see that everything is still quite muddled. You leave with a sense of wondering how and when it will all be unwoven. You can't wait to see how the author, as she always does, will uncover God's purposes in the lives of people, though fictional, who are so much like all of us in so many ways.

How many of us have gotten ourselves into all kinds of entanglements because of our emotions? If we're honest, we'd be willing to admit that it has been far too often. Misreading actions and words of others, drawing conclusions with little facts to support them, speculating and making presumptions about this person and that situation, and on and on. When will we learn to prayerfully leave matters to a sovereign and omniscient God? When will we learn to wait patiently for Him, trusting that in His own good time, He'll guide our steps and make His way plain?

Please, Lord, may I begin learning now.