Chase Your Dream: Part 2

I am reminded this week that my path as a writer is a journey, not a destination.  And yes, I’m very glad.  Although the writer’s road is crazy difficult sometimes—as most don’t know that writing is hard work—doing what I do is the most rewarding thing I’ve found in this stage of life.  I’m happy.  I love to write.

I say it is a journey because the adventure is real.  When I started out, I figured authors just sat at a desk and wrote words.  Never in my wildest dreams did I envision myself researching about the things that I am researching (author can hardly keep quiet about exciting things coming soon), going to the amazing places that I visit (I love field trips), learning new things in the industry (writing conferences are awesome), or in this case, getting to know real people.

On this journey called being a Christian author, I attended the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference last spring.  Many of you already read about it when I wrote a piece on my experience titled Chase Your Dream, challenging readers to step out with courage and act upon that God-given desire inside us.  Many of you found that post to be significant in your own journey.  Thank you for commenting on it.  That let me know. 

The Blue Ridge Mountains Christians Writers Conference I attended was super.  The instruction was incredible.  It blew me away.  The experience was above anything I dreamed it being.  I was like a kid in a candy shop the whole time.

And when the conference was over, I went up to the top of the mountain and shot a video.  I’ll share the video within the next few days on my social media. I made a declaration of sorts to myself and to the Lord.  I was determined.  I was going to be a writer.  A Christian writer.  I would use what God gave me to reach others.  I was not giving up.  I would chase my dream.

Little did I know the best part of the conference was yet to come.

Sometimes the best things in life are those we receive unnoticed.

At that conference I was handed a letter and a book.  I was one of a handful of people who received a scholarship to attend.  I was beyond thankful.  Without it, going wasn’t possible.  In complete and genuine appreciation, I smiled, shook hands, gave thanks, and said I would write the person who gave the book and scholarship to me.

And you know how summer goes.

The book sat on my desk.  I was way too busy to read it.

Well, the dog days of summer were winding down.  I needed a pick-me-up to boost my writing and spark my creativity.  In all honesty, I was growing a little restless.  As you read this, I’m sitting on a new and finished manuscript I cannot wait to tell the world about.  But differing from my past books, I’m doing my best to get this manuscript in the hands of a traditional publisher.  I’m finding out that writing to people in the professional industry and waiting on responses requires more than one cup of coffee.  I was growing impatient.  I needed a creative boost.  I needed to read.

I picked up the book I received at the conference and opened it.

I was instantly blown away.  It was a book about writing.

It was a book written to me.

Unleash the Writer Within: The Essential Writers’ Companion spoke to every part of me that needed some writerly inspiration.  I plunged into it as it breathed fresh life into my lungs.  I took notes.  I dog eared the corners to mark pages.  I circled things.  I underlined and starred special lines and phrases.  I’ve never marked a book up like this one.  And when I finished reading it, I not only felt as though I had taken a walk on an autumn trail with a man I understood and who understood me, but on that walk had gleaned sage advice that would change the course of my writing life forever.  I had come to the crossroads where instruction met wisdom.  The conference itself had given me all the knowledge I could stuff into my brain.  It was full to the brim.  But what I still searched for was the prudent insight to know what to do with it all, how to apply it to Chuck Carr, and how to unleash that writer inside him. 

And Cecil Murphey had just delivered.

For those of you who don’t know Cecil Murphey, he’s written enough books to make my mind blur.  More than 135.  Some of the most notable are 90 Minutes In Heaven (Don Piper with Cecil Murphey), which I have in my personal collection and loved, and Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story (Ben Carson with Cecil Murphey).  He’s sold millions of copies of his words.  But I don’t think he’s worried about numbers.  He’s speaking into people.  People like you.  People like me.  After reading the book he gave me, I know that people matter to him.  And I was one of them.  I received a scholarship made possible by his book sales.  It was time to thank him.

True to my word, I decided to write him.  I needed to thank him now more than ever.  I was so glad that I had not thanked him at first, for then, only a small part of my appreciation would have transferred.  As transparent and honest as I knew how, I gave him the words that came from my heart.  I wrote him a letter.  After all, I felt I had just walked an autumn stroll with him.

I was shocked.  He wrote back.

Wait a minute.  I’m me.  I’m Chuck.  The goofy guy with a brain injury that has no idea what he’s doing in this hang-on-by-the-seat-of-your-pants wild ride of chasing a dream.  Hello?  Chuck Carr?  I’m the one who barely made it to the Blue Ridge conference and sat starry-eyed the whole time while others who knew more told me about writing. 

Yes.  I’m that Chuck.  And Cecil went on to write me a second email.  And this morning I opened my email inbox and found his newsletter.  I clicked.  Surprised.  I showed my computer screen to my wife.  Her face lit up as well.  Cecil Murphey had included part of my thank you letter in his newsletter sent to thousands.  An author—that has written over 135 books—for some reason saw fitting to include a small piece of my heart and gratitude in something he passed out to who knows how many others.

Taken from Cecil Murphey’s newsletter.

Cecil knows the value of a person.

I know the value of chasing a dream.

Here’s my point: we build one upon another.  No matter what level or stage of dream chasing we are in, there is always opportunity to reach down and grab the hand of someone who is not quite so high on the dream-chasing ladder as you are on.  Isn’t that what we are called to?  Aren’t we to be there for each other? 

1 Thessalonians 5:14 says: And we urge you, brothers, admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all.

My challenge to you today is simple.  Reach out and do something just like Cecil Murphey did for me.  He most likely is a very busy man.  But he took the time to write me.  Something I will always treasure.  His words encouraged me in a time when my writing life was a little fainthearted.  So, he picked up the calling I’m urging all of us to accept.

Ask yourself: how can I pull someone else up today?  How can I reach out to someone and help them on this journey we all walk in life?  The Christian walk is hard.  The world makes it even harder.  Can we all do one small part to encourage, enlighten, and inspire?

I challenge you today.  Heed the mission to help others as brothers and sisters.  Help somebody chase their dreams.  The world needs it.  The world will be a better place when God-given dreams are realities.

Check out Cecil Murphey’s books, 90 Minutes In Heaven, Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story, Unleash the Writer Within, or others by clicking on Cecil’s website with this link.

Sign up for his newsletter, where he shares part of my thank you.

But most of all, do something today to help and encourage another.

After all, the best things in life might just be received unnoticed.

By Chuck Carr.