Depending Upon God by Carrie Fancett Pagels

I recently had the privilege of speaking at the Writing to Inspire conference in Frederick, Maryland. I spoke on "How to Interview Your Characters Like a Psychologist." But none of it would have happened without leaning into and fully depending upon God. I'd been in an autoimmune flare ever since we returned from our wonderful trip to Michigan in July to promote My Heart Belongs on Mackinac Island: Maude's Mooring. My "plan" had been to drive up to the event with another author, spend the night, and be at the event for maybe a couple of hours (I wasn't sure how long I could hold up). I was so miserable in the lead-up to planning to go, that I told my husband to never let me do anything like this again.

Well, you know how plans go. which is why we have to depend upon God. The other writer I'd hoped to drive with didn't work out. Which left me driving by myself. But, Praise the Lord, my handsome chauffeur husband agreed to come with me. And, when speaking with my precious aunt Wilda, I learned that she didn't live far from the venue (I thought it was much farther away.)

So, depending upon God to get us through, we left out later in the afternoon on Friday, during the weekend when people were evacuating from the hurricanes. Despite being quite a bit further north, we both suspected there would be heavy traffic on the main interstates (we later learned the roads were clogged with traffic, delaying some of our friends.) We took a route we'd never taken before. It was wide and crazy and included some rocky rutted roads, but we got there safely and in time to enjoy dinner with Rita and Paul Gerlach, and had a wonderful fellowship.

I never know if I'll be able to sleep well and I'd forgotten my medications! I left packing them to the end and didn't have any. Thankfully, I had a couple of them in my wallet for emergencies. And I trusted in God to get me through the seminar. Thankfully, I was able to come even for the morning sessions, which started later in the morning. It was wonderful to see some old friends and to meet some new ones!

In my upcoming release, "Love's Escape" in The Captive Brides Collection, Barbour, October, 2017, my heroine Letitia Burwell is relying upon God to get her North to freedom, on the Underground Railroad for part of the trip, and by transportation by friends. As I was writing this story last spring, I felt the weight of Lettie's dilemma. We all have to depend upon God -- from those who escaped to freedom, to people escaping the hurricanes' wrath, and to a lowly author simply trying to speak at a conference despite autoimmune issues.

Question: How about you? What are you depending upon God for today?

Giveaway: A Copy of The Captive Brides Collection or any one of Carrie's other books including Romantic Times Book Reviews Top Pick My Heart Belongs on Mackinac Island: Maude's Mooring.