“Consecrate yourselves”

Ever since the Lord brought Joshua 3:5 to my attention the other day, I’ve had these two words in my head. Consecrate yourselves. What does that mean–to consecrate ourselves, or set ourselves apart?

Obviously, we live in this world. Even the apostle Paul, who spoke so much of Christians being “a peculiar people” (some of us more peculiar than others ), said, “I wrote to you … not to keep company with sexually immoral people. Yet I certainly did not mean the sexually immoral people of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or idolaters, because then you would need to go out of the world.” It seems obvious to me that we aren’t supposed to shrink from being involved with those who, how do I put it? don’t exactly share our faith or lifestyle choices.

Yet there are times when God calls us to pull back from this or that to prepare for something big down the road–as He told the people of Israel the day before they crossed the Jordan into the Promised Land. Now, whatever God has for me at the conference next week is His business, but I’ve had this sense that I need to … pull back … pray, reflect, and REST … over the next several days.

As part of that, I’ve set aside any serious research or writing until after the conference. (Which feels nice, actually!) I’ve been polishing up my proposal, working on the promotional one-sheets for both Gift and the historical (I have a title!!!)–figuring out pitch lines and one-paragraph summaries and knowing that when it comes right down to it, I probably won’t use any of it. I even hesitate to use the label “fantasy” for my work, these days. I can just hear myself dithering when it comes time to pitch: “It’s speculative fiction, but not fantasy in the sense of elves and dwarves or magic or the hero’s quest or any of the usual fantasy tropes. It’s speculative future in the sense that Left Behind is speculative, but after the Tribulation, and not our Earth, and not science fiction …”

I really don’t want to dither.

Thanks to Stuart for helping me brainstorm a title for my historical. I’d come up with Drums of the Carolinas, but we both decided that sounded too Indian (although wouldn’t that be a kewl story?), and I eventually decided on Loyalty’s Cadence. I’m hoping it doesn’t sound too Steeple Hill/Love Inspired, cuz it ain’t gonna be that kind of romance.

Of course, it still won’t be the kind of book Stuart will want to read, either. 😉 (Inside joke.) But he’s really great at helping with titles and pitch lines.

I’ve also decided to forego the Scots Festival this next weekend. I’m partly relieved, because I was so wiped out after the reenactment weekend before last. (I would definitely wear a hat this time …) But I’m also partly sad because … it’s the first time in 3 years that timing is not an issue.

Oh, well. I can’t do everything … and part of “consecrating” myself is learning to step back from even good things that I don’t need to do.

Hmmm … and in looking around me … I think it might also mean cleaning my desk sometime before I go …