Until one is committed

“Until one is committed, there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back, always ineffectiveness. Concerning all acts of initiative (and creation), there is one elementary truth, the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans: that the moment one definitely commits oneself, then Providence moves too. All sorts of things occur to help one that would never otherwise have occurred. A whole stream of events issues from the decision, raising in one’s favour all manner of unforeseen incidents and meetings and material assistance, which no man could have dreamt would have come his way. I have learned a deep respect for one of Goethe’s couplets:
Whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin it.
Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it!”
William Hutchison Murray

I have been so afraid, and it seemed that so many problems kept arising but I knew one thing for sure, I was going to do this and nothing was going to stop me. My first plan for the platform I would have to use was not ideal and I was disappointed but I was going to do what I had to do to get started. One week ago Suzanne contacted me and told me that I could use Zoom and she would teach me how. We met last Sunday and we are meeting again tonight. I am not expecting perfection but I know this is doable. We have the platform I wanted and I am thrilled! (And grateful, so grateful.)

And then the printer wouldn’t work. And the class was less than a week away. And even though my notes won’t be the complicated affair they once were there is a fair amount of material. No printer. Well, okay. Yesterday I bought a spiral notebook at the grocery store which I showed you at the top of yesterday’s post. Today I sat for 2 hours and hand wrote the entire class. I have been so afraid to write the new material but I did it, it was done, but phew that was a lot of hand-written notes. So I decided I would go ahead and type them up just so they would be easier to read. I figured I would put them on a thumb drive and go to the copy place and have them printed some time before Sunday. I started typing them up and then the phone rang.

It was a computer tech who is a wizard who my dear friend Jeff arranged to come and help me with the printer. He called to ask for directions to get to my house and in 15 minutes he was here. He was here for 2 hours. He got the printer hooked up and running smoothly, and did a whole bunch of other updates and security things on my computer. I was in awe. He left at 6, and my whole world looked brighter. He also helped me get my external web cam set up and showed me that it does indeed work better than the built in camera. So there’s that too. It is not some high tech affair but it will work.

And then I sat down to write this post and I looked at this quote, the Murray quote. And I got to the part, “…that the moment one definitely commits oneself, then Providence moves too…” and I thought about the fact that I knew I had to do this, I just knew it, no matter what it took, and I was afraid, Lord have mercy I was so afraid, but I wouldn’t give up. My dream, this dream about having a Sunday night writing group, a place for people to gather each week, a place for people to come so that they wouldn’t feel alone and afraid in the world and would know that I was here every week for them, with our private Facebook group for members running through the week, a real community, a gathering of hearts and souls, pens in hand, I could just see this, I felt it, and I was determined. And I started, and I kept at it, and here came Suzanne, and the computer tech, and on and on. This is happening, it is going to happen, and nothing will stop me now.

I was so afraid, as I wrote yesterday, about how to write the material. I actually first, a few days ago, drew a structure for it. I could feel the structure before there were words. And then I sketched in 3 sets of writing exercises. And I could feel it all bubbling under the surface. And then today I opened up my notebook and wrote like a house afire, wrote without stopping, and all of a sudden there it was, the whole class. It was finished and it was just right. I was elated. And then the phone rang, help was on the way.

I believe in miracles. There have been miracles here. The work is coming together, we’ve almost 20 people signed up so far, the material is ready, and soon we will begin. I am so excited I am about to pop. In 3 nights we begin. I think this work has been years in the making, decades, a lifetime. I am committed, I have dreamed this into being, there is magic here, and soon we will begin.

If you are interested in joining us on Sunday nights please send me an email to: TheSundayNightWritingGroup@gmail.com. I am going to be using a MailChimp list to send out information about the group and I must have your written permission to add you to the list. Simply say “Please add me to the list” and give me the email address you would like to use plus tell me why you would like to join the group. This extra step is a security measure. For more information about The Sunday Night Writing Group click on the link herein.