Looking out the Window: Tracy Wainwright Talks about Hearing Whispers, Book One in Her Fruit of the Spirit Series and Shares a Devotional. Excerpt and Giveaway
A Warm Welcome to Tracy Wainwright
Tracy will give away a digital copy of Hearing Whispers, book 1 in her Fruit of the Spirit Series to a U.S. citizen. It's a series focused on faith, friendship, and family. To enter to win leave a comment and an email address below.
Tracy shares what Phillipians 1:6, means to her and what it can mean for others.
“And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.” Philippians 1:6
This verse has been my favorite for too many years to count. While many verses have had great meaning to me in my 35-year walk with Jesus, this one sticks out the most because it reminds me of several important truths I’m prone to forget.
First of all, I can be confident in every single promise the Lord has made in His Word. “I am sure of this...” The confidence Paul exudes in this and many other passages comes from a knowing to the core of his being that the Lord is who He says He is and loves with an everlasting, perfect love. While I struggle with keeping this in the forefront of my mind, I stand and live off of this truth. My days may get crazy. My life may take some rollercoaster-like dips, twirls, and twists, but God is always the same.
This is one of the many lessons my character Sarah learns in Hearing Whispers. I’m able to impart her faith journey into her story because I’ve gone through many of the doubts, losses, and heartaches she goes through. Yet God is unchanging, and I can be confident in Him.
Next, this verse reminds me that the Lord is the one who began a good work in me. When I fail, when I faulter, when I fumble, it’s because I’m relying on myself. I’ve forgotten in that moment that when I entered into a relationship with the Lord at age thirteen, He started working in me. I can see this throughout my life, even before I knew it was a thing.
I think back to the young, teenage me who didn’t know spiritual growth was a thing, didn’t know I was supposed to read the Bible, didn’t even know the word discipleship. Even then, God was working in me to mold me and grow me into the person He meant me to be. He convicted my through the Holy Spirit within me, protected me from myself, and even let me fall flat on my face when heading a hundred miles an hour in the wrong direction. He began that work the moment I repented and believed in Him.
But not only that. He will finish the work He’s doing in me to completion. Now, we can’t forget that last part: at the day of Christ. As much as I’d like to reach perfection and never make a mistake again, never sin again, never hurt again, that won’t happen on this side of Heaven. But each day and step of life should draw me closer to the Lord and make me more like Him. While I have choices to make to obey Him, He is doing the work in me, just as Paul tells us in Philippians 2:13 (just a few verses later).
I’m an independent, strong, sometimes stubborn woman. I tend to forge ahead and just get things done. (You may see this in some of my characters in Hearing Whispers.) However, God always graciously reminds me that my strength, imagination, impetus, and ability to do everything I do comes from Him.
What relief! What freedom! What comfort!
So, next time you’re frustrated with yourself because you didn’t meet a goal, fell short on a task, or procrastinated on something important, remember this verse and ask the Lord to keep these and His other truths in the forefront of your mind, so you don’t start depending on yourself but instead rest in who He is and who He created you to be.
About Hearing Whispers
In her last semester of college, Sarah knows exactly what's next: marriage to the man of her dreams and working with young children. That is, until she discovers two secrets that throw her whole future into turmoil.
Determined to move past immeasurable pain and betrayal, and armed with newly discovered information, she embarks on a journey to discover who she really is and what' s really important in life. The last thing she needs is a man to distract her. The only hiccough? Warren Crysel.
Excerpt:
“I took it, of course. It’s my only option at this point. But I don’t understand.” She tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. “I really wanted to work in an elementary school. That’s where my heart is. Where I’m passionate about working. Now that I have this relationship with God, I don’t understand why He wouldn’t have worked that out. Did I wait too long? Was this already decided before I asked Him into my life?”
Elysa laughed. “Of course, it was already decided. God knew you’d accept Him at the exact moment you did before you were even born. He also knew about, and probably designed you for, this job.”
“That doesn’t make sense. If He has plans for me, why would those plans be the exact opposite of what I want?”
Her friend sighed. “His plans are to prosper you. But remember, they are His plans. You’re making an assumption that what you had planned is best. The Bible also says, ‘your ways are not My ways, your thoughts are not My thoughts’ and that no one can know the thoughts of God. This is where you have to trust He knows more than you.”
“Yeah, I guess.” Verses she’d read since getting her Bible swarmed in her head. Elysa’s words rang true. She stuck out her bottom lip, but she didn’t argue.
“Risking the danger of bringing up a sore subject, you thought you knew best when it came to Jakob. You had great plans with him and for the two of you.”
True. “Uh, huh.”
“Now you can see, thought, how he wasn’t good for you, and those plans wouldn’t have materialized into reality.”
Valid point. “OK”
“Are you willing to consider the possibility that there’s something about this job, or maybe the elementary school jobs, that you don’t know?”
She could concede that point. “All right. I give up. Maybe this is God’s best for me. Is it still OK for me to be disappointed, though?”
Elysa chuckled. “Absolutely. Knowing God and trusting Him doesn’t negate having real feelings.”
“Aren’t I supposed to be joyful all the time?” Elysa seemed to be.
“Joy isn’t mutually exclusive from other feelings. We can be sad or disappointed or hurt but still have peace and joy in the Lord.”
Sarah mulled that concept. She’d need to grow into that truth.
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Bio: Tracy's been writing for 20 years, She has 17 books published (self and traditional) and 8 books due to release in the next year. She loves sharing God's truths through story-telling and does so through fiction, nonfiction, and speaking. In addition to writing her own books, Tracy loves helping other authors produce works of excellence through editing, coaching, presenting at writers' conferences, and ghostwriting. She squeezes all this in the middle of being a wife, homeschool mom of 4 (3 graduated now!), volunteer at her church, and most recently running for her local Board of Supervisors.
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