QUOTA
Much calculation from the FROG blog. For someone who defaults to words over numbers, today I projected figures with the vigor of an accountant.
My current book is at the publisher’s house and I’m in the Martha and Mary Studio writing another book. I had residual inertia after meeting recent deadlines, which I prefer calling resurrection lines. Resurrection lines invite me to reference life over death. I was piddling through the pond, paddling for direction toward the upcoming endeavor. My waves of activity were more like a dog paddle. I was treading water and the only headway came from swimming thoughts.
To stop tangling my efforts in seaweed, I set guidelines. I committed to writing ten pages each day. Anticipated writing time or energy bonuses would allow me to meet a sixty-page weekly quota. I was on fire! I let my increasing pace of outlined accomplishments swell and when I reached the end of my water trail, this project was written, edited, and published by month end! Feeling accomplished for planning to plan my plan, I looked at the page I started prior to my figurative whirlpool. Two sentences. Nine pages and forty-eight lines shy of my daily goal.
What if Jesus set rigid daily, weekly, and monthly goals like I do? While He was on earth, what if He began each day on a numbers mission? Did His prayers resemble mine? Imagine Jesus in His quiet time: “God, it’s Me, Your only Son. I know You want every knee to bow and everybody to believe in You. To complete Your will, today I’ll heal nine lepers and part one large body of water. By next week I’ll raise two people from the dead and feed 10,000 people. By month end, I’ll seize a storm and walk on water. Oh! And God? To clarify? The water I walk on at month-end will be different from the body of water I originally parted. That was so last month. Before I jump into My robe and grab My sandals today, do You have any closing remarks?”
Back to my writing studio. If I meet each standard every day, do I advance to some unforeseen level of accomplishment? When I pursue every page line to chase a ghost of some mysterious quota, do I become a published phantom master? Or do I query the Author for His copyright and trademark seal of approval? It’s His stories written through me.
“Lord, help me get Your go ahead before I go ahead. Guide me to balance my books with Your Book. Align my projects with Your projections. Guard me against excessive benchmarks merely for the sake of more bookmarks. Sift my writing through Your filter. I want every chapter of every day to read like a love story between You and me.”
Checking in from His Publishing Clearinghouse, Christina