Alone with God at Writers Conferences

by Marilyn Turk

I stepped outside the room where my writer friends were chatting together to take a breath.

I didn’t mean to be unsociable, but I needed some morning quiet time I had missed that day and needed to adjust my focus. When I’m at home, I get up before my husband does and embrace the quiet of the day’s first arrival when only the birds are making noise. I am not ready to talk to anyone, at least anyone human.

Mornings are my time with God. It’s when I go outside and walk around my yard, surveying  the plants to see what new growth has occurred since the day before. I smell the fresh air and soak in the natural environment, the daylight, the breeze, the Creation.

I communicate with God, but often without audible words. He can read my thoughts, so I don’t have to voice them. Just knowing that gives me peace because sometimes I cannot express myself vocally the way I’d like to and struggle to be understood. It’s during those quiet times that I hear his voice like the words of one of my favorite songs, “In the Garden,”  says, “He walks with me and He talks with me.” It also says, “I come to the garden alone.”

Some people might be surprised at this introvert behavior from me. After all, I usually have no problem interacting with others and being friendly. But God and I needed a moment alone, time for me to regroup. I have friends who go to writers conferences and spend most of their time in their rooms. I used to find that strange, but now I realize that sometimes a conference is actually a retreat for some of us, a unique time to be alone and focus, especially when our demands at home consume us. In fact, the last time I attended a conference, I had a deadline looming, so I decided to go to the evening keynotes and dinners, but the rest of the time work on my manuscript. I gave myself grace about not being everywhere with everyone else, thankful that God knew what I needed and provided the time for me. And thankfully, the conference provided recordings of the classes so I could attend them virtually when I had a chance.

I’ve met many amazing friends at conferences and I look forward to seeing them, so next time, I won’t stay confined to my room. Sometimes we need to surround ourselves with other writers for support, but there are other times when we need to spend time with only God. And either of those choices are okay.

Award-winning author Marilyn Turk is thankful to have over twenty novels and novellas in print. Her stories span several genres – historical, contemporary and even a cozy mystery — all laced with suspense and romance. Her historicals are set in several eras, the Civil War, the Gilded Age, and World War II. Visit Marilyn on her website at https://pathwayheart.com/.