It was a day of celebration. At last I had completed the final step, of the last leg, of an amazing journey—one that brought me from an idea in my mind to a book in my hand. Writing my memoir, Triumph! A Battle Plan for Joy, proved to be the most challenging voluntary project of my life. But I need to hastily add that the rewards are greater than the challenges.
Reliving my story of unexplainable triumph over such harsh events reaffirmed my conviction that we can choose joy in any environment. Joy is a gift from the Lord, as expressed in John 15:11. It is a priceless gift many have yet to open.
One of the most valued rewards I received along this journey was of a therapeutic nature. Recalling those abusive and demeaning experiences helped me evict every trace of any lingering revenge, remorse or regrets. At the same time, it underscored the marvelous truth that it took my total experience, the good—the bad, and the embarrassing—for the Lord to mold me into the person of joyful gratitude I am today.
The book took about four years to complete—more than four years if I count the original beginning. As shared in some of my other writings, I did not set out to write this book. Initially I began writing about miracles. I developed the outlines and began sharing stories, detailing various unexplainable events. In the meantime, Ideas and sometimes full scenes for A Battle Plan for Joy” kept disrupting my thought process, and at times haunting my dreams. So, I put “Miracles” on the shelf and surrendered to “Triumph! A Battle Plan for Joy.”
I am grateful for the opportunities this project afforded me to practice and benefit from some of my own advice. For years I had told my son and other young people not to worry about how long it takes them to get a degree or reach some other goal. My words to them: “It doesn’t matter how slow the pace or how short the steps, as long as you know you are moving in the right direction, just kept moving. You will eventually get there. So, relax and enjoy the journey.” In other words, when you choose joy over frustration—your journey will be sweeter.
That is what I did. I kept moving in the right direction. At times it seemed almost everybody I saw asked: “Have you finished that book yet?” or “When are you going to finish that book?” I also received frequent text messages inquiring about the status of my book, especially after the projected publication date had passed. Some of the tones made it seem they were asking: “Are you sure you are going to finish that book?”
I kept trusting the Lord, celebrating the smallest victory and relishing every little milestone. I celebrated submitting the final chapter to the editor, completing the final revision, distributing the manuscript for designated people to critique, attending those sometimes-brutal meetings where I received feedback. Events of celebration included assigning ISBN numbers, registering the book in Bowker’s Books in Print, posing for my photo shoot, etc. Yes, despite the naysayers, I kept my “eyes on the prize” and enjoyed the journey.
The day the electronic proof arrived I praised God for giving me grace to persevere. Seeing the book professionally designed and formatted to size filled my heart with gratitude. A few days later when I held the physical proof in my hands, joy permeated my being. Ah, but there was more to come. Three weeks later I received the finished product, the author’s copy—my published book in my hand. At that point I had no further need to choose joy, because JOY HAD CHOSEN ME.