Sometimes I Write

I heard muffled giggling through the phone line as I read the back of the book to my friend.

“Faster than a speeding minivan, able to leap piles of laundry in a single bound, it’s a bird, it’s a plane, It’s…Supermom! Becky Miller is a young mom who wants to do Big Things for God. Her vivid daydreams help her cope with the pressure to be a Wonderful Wife and Marvelous Mother. Yet the tape going through her mind continues to play:

Your Mission: support your husband when he loses his job, nurture an eccentric circle of friends, raise perfect Christian children, cook delicious meals in a spotless kitchen, lead the women’s ministry at church, and live a life filled with Meaning and Purpose.

How does this supermom react when her grand plans start to fall apart? What will it take for her to turn off the tape and listen to God’s voice instead?”

I paused and asked, “So what do you think?” My friend answered, “Who is this woman and why did she write a book about you?” That was a month ago. I had been invited to take part in a blog tour to promote Sharon Hinck’s new book, Renovating Becky Miller. As excited as I was, I hadn’t even read the first book yet. So off to Family Christian I went to buy one of the last three copies available. As I read about this woman I could relate to so well, God began to speak to my heart about some things in my life. Things I have in common with Becky Miller. Like my tendency to be driven and push through when circumstances are bleak. I knew all too well her unspoken creed of “Never let them see you sweat”. Becky doesn’t know how to say “No” even when her plate is overflowing and her family starts to feel the strains of her overcommitments. She wants people to like her and think she’s fabulous at everything she does. Ouch. That one hurt God!

I laughed as I saw some of myself and my friends in Becky’s close circle of friends. Heather, the warm, loving and eccentric hippie who serves wheatgrass and healthy fare to houseguests. Doreen, the sleek and driven former corporate exec with the struggling marriage. Lori, the conservative, organized homeschooler and spiritually wise bestfriend. And Sally, the platitude spouting but good intentioned blond, bubbly, church secretary. An unlikely group tied together with Love.

“The one drawback of an honest, intimate circle of women was that on any issue you could name opinions ranged far and wide. Living stones, indeed. God was working with a pile of rocks. All different shapes, sizes, and textures.

The next hour was an oasis. Splashing in a wealth of spiritual refreshment. A ridiculous bounty of water compared to the miles of parched landscape beyond our cloistered evening. Enough to drink, enough to immerse ourselves in. Enough to wash over the dry places in our souls so we could face another week of trudging through hot sands.”

This book reminded me to seek out what is important – God’s rest and wisdom, marital unity, loving parenting, and the blessing that is a bonded group of women. Women who will lift each other in prayer, lend a hand in times of need, laugh and tease, and gently help us down from the pedestals we sometimes place ourselves on. I love Sharon’s style and witty humor. I loved the book and couldn’t wait to read the sequel.

Becky Miller believes in fixing things: children, friends, mother-in-law, sister, church . . . and her husband. So renovating a run-down farmhouse is right up her alley–the perfect antidote for the pressures of modern life. But Becky’s pursuit of the simple life is soon threatened. Her mother-in-law moves in, her son finds trouble at school, her sister arrives for a visit, her best friend is acting weird, all while work stresses mount. Worst of all, her marriage is in need of some major remodeling of its own. Cinematic daydreams provide Becky with heroic drama. Maybe that’s why she escapes into the scenes so often. In real life, everything is a muddled mess. Who knew one old house could lead them to the brink of bankruptcy? Or that Becky’s physical handicap could threaten to steal their dream? Can Becky stop fixing everyone else and let God renovate her heart so she can find her own happy ending?

Two years have passed, the children are older, Becky and her circle of friends have been there for each other through some tough times, and her husband’s new job is going well. So why does life seem harder than ever? Hadn’t she learned the hard lessons yet? Hadn’t God been telling her to slow down? It seems Becky still thinks if she doesn’t do things, they won’t get done right. Boy does that sound familiar. Once again I related to some of the struggles Becky and her friends go through and I found myself imitating my friend who talks back to movie screens. “No! Don’t do that! What are you crazy? Have you learned nothing? Bad choice! Good girl! Way to go and stand your ground!” I found myself trying to be Becky’s Jiminy Cricket. 🙂

I felt Becky’s frustrations as she dealt with not living up to someone else’s expectations. I laughed when their friend Harry bounds into their remodeling project and keeps Grandma Rose on her toes and feeling feisty. I grimaced as Becky’s co-worker got caught up in the numbers game with a “perfect formula of basic math” translating into X amount of dollars spent on media outreach means X amount of souls saved. Poor Becky. I too have walked that tightrope of church work where there is always one more thing to do, and after this one activity, project, etc. I’ll have more time, more energy, and more (you fill in the blank). True to real life, when Becky finally takes some time out to pray and talk to God about her life, a thousand things interrupt their time together. I found myself cheering on this heroine as she and those she loves get more than they bargained for in the renovating phase of life. As I closed the book with a smile on my face, I began to talk to God about the renovating going on in my own life.

Learn more about Sharon and her books at http://www.sharonhinck.com/ There’s even a quiz to see which “friend” you are. Sharon is alot of fun! She found a loyal reader in me when she said:

“Life is a grand adventure, and even the small choices we make each day can be heroic.”