Journeys - M. Laycock

I love hearing stories of people’s lives, how they came to be where they are now. I especially love it when they acknowledge that God has designed that journey for them and want to shout “praise the Lord” when they recognize his grace and mercy along the way.

I’ve been thinking a bit about journeys in the past while, perhaps because of the release of the first volume of my latest novel, a young adult fantasy called Journey to a Strong Tower book one in the Ambassadors Trilogy. It’s been a delight to write these books, detailing the harrowing journeys of two young people whose destinies are intertwined and bound by the parameters of God’s love. It’s a fantasy but it has its root in reality, as all books do. 

I believe all of us are on a journey designed by God. I once wrote a suite of poems that was broadcast on CBC called Journey to Each Other. It detailed the path my husband and I took to find one another, and our Saviour, in Canada’s far north. As I wrote those poems I was overwhelmed with God’s amazing plan and the deep love He has for us all – a love so deep that He details every step of our journey on this earth, all to His glory.

Reading the books of the Old Testament which detail the journey of the Hebrew nation is inspiring for that same reason. The record reveals the protection and plan of God and the strengths and weaknesses, the victories and failings of the Israelites  – “The Lord your God, who is going before you, will fight for you, as he did for you in Egypt, before your very eyes, and in the wilderness. There you saw how the Lord your God carried you, as a father carries his son, all the way you went until you reached this place. In spite of this you did not trust in the Lord your God, who went ahead of you on your journey in fire by night and in a cloud by day, to search out places for you to camp and to show you the way you should go” (Deut 1:30 – 33).

And it is because God told Moses to record that journey that we are able to read about it. Numbers 33:2 says – “At the Lord’s command Moses recorded the stages in their journey.”

I believe God still tells us to record the journey, to write down both in fiction and non-fiction, the details of how He has kept us, protected us, and yes, carried us throughout our lives. By this testimony we glorify Him and remind ourselves of the greatness of our God. 

And we can certainly acknowledge, with Moses, the truth of these words – “The Lord your God has blessed you in all the work of your hands. He has watched over your journey through this vast wilderness” (Deuteronomy 2:7). 

So write the record of your journey. Broadcast it in every way you can, all to God’s glory.

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Marcia Lee Laycock writes from central Alberta Canada where she is a pastor's wife and mother of three adult daughters. She was the winner of The Best New Canadian Christian Author Award for her novel, One Smooth Stone. Her second novel, A Tumbled Stone was also short listed in the contemporary fiction category of The Word Awards and her work is short-listed in three categories this year. 

Marcia also has two devotional books in print. Her work has been endorsed by Sigmund Brouwer, Janette Oke, Phil Callaway and Mark Buchanan. 

Abundant Rain, an ebook devotional for writers can be downloaded here. Visit Marcia’s Website

Reunion - M. Laycock

Shades of fresh new green billow across the landscape interspersed with patches of tawny stubble and dark earth waiting for rain beneath scudding clouds and blue sky. Hawks skim the ground or perch on fence posts, eyes ever searching for prey. Here and there cattle graze, wandering down centuries old pathways grooved into the side of low hills. It's springtime in Alberta. The long wait for winter to end has passed but now a new anticipation hovers in the soft air. Will the rains come? Will the crops sprout and yield their harvest? The potential for either feast or famine is there, walking the tightrope of weather forecasts and mechanical failures. 

I feel the tight coil of waiting inside me. Thoughts of "what if" press it down hard until the whisper, "I am with you," breaks through and the tension eases again. Then the distraction of time spent with old friends brings laughter and tears. The sweet sweet song of two young girls, smiling as they sing about Jesus catches in my throat and eye contact with a friend brings a knowing smile. Walking the dirt roads of a country town on a tranquil evening, the joy of discovering new places together makes us giddy and the unexpected certainty that God is walking with us tingles my spine.

All too soon it's time to pack up with hugs all round to say good-bye as we step out into a cooling shower. Blessings falling on us all, on the land. The seeds will yield their fruit. Though weather may turn and machines may fail, the harvest will come. He is with us.

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Marcia Lee Laycock writes from central Alberta Canada where she is a pastor's wife and mother of three adult daughters. She was the winner of The Best New Canadian Christian Author Award for her novel, One Smooth Stone and also has two devotional books in print. Her work has been endorsed by Sigmund Brouwer, Janette Oke, Phil Callaway and Mark Buchanan. Marcia's second novel, A Tumbled Stone has just been short listed in the contemporary fiction category of The Word Awards. Abundant Rain, an ebook devotional for writers can be downloaded here. Visit Marcia's website