Good News!

 

As many of you know, I had been struggling with my career as a poet for the last few years. For over 30 years, I worked hard, writing and publishing poems. Over those years, I published 13 books of poems and a collection of short stories. I have also served as an Associate Poet Laureate for the state of North Dakota and currently serve as Poet in Residence at Concordia College. I have won awards and been honored for my poetry. 

            However, following the death of my mother, my career seemed to stall. Suddenly, I found myself struggled to write. In the long, dark days of grief following her death, I somehow managed to chisel out a collection of poems in which I chronicled my grief. However, every publisher to whom I sent the book responded with silence. Not rejection. Just an echoing silence. I did not know how to respond to this silent rejection. I thought maybe I had lost my poetic voice and that whatever talent I had had simply dried up on the vine.

            Earlier this year, I finally decided to give up; o give up not only on the book which was met with silence, but also to give up on my career as a poet. I felt depleted and useless as a poet. And, I can say in all honesty, I mourned that realization. I mourned my career which had meant so much to me and was so much a part of who I was. In fact, as I went on vacation to Florida this year, I carried with me a somewhat heavy heart over this stark reality.

            As any of us who are Christians know full well, out of despair and frustration and brokenness and uselessness, God always finds a way for rebirth and renewal.

            I was back from vacation for a week when I received an email from the last publisher to whom I sent my manuscript with the subject line: “Acceptance Letter and Contract for “Salt” and an opening line which read:

 

Dear Jamie, Thank you for your excellent poetry submission: Salt. We would love to publish your book!

 

            Suddenly, I felt renewed. I felt as though the barren desert of my career had suddenly bloomed. More importantly, I felt a sense of wholeness that I had felt lacking for several years.

            This is what our journey is like when we follow Jesus. Sometimes we feel overwhelmed by darkness and despair and the brokenness of our lives. But somehow the God of Jesus breathes a resurrected life in us and into the broken landscape in which we all sometimes find ourselves.

            Even now, in the midst of Lent, we are able to see glimpses of resurrection and renewed life. As we do so, I invite you all to the observation of a holy and meaningful Lent. I also invite to keep yourselves open to those beautiful, life-affirming moments in which God breaks through into the sometimes overwhelming cloud-filled moments.