Go ahead, put your baby in the corner

 Sometimes, you just have to go with the flow. Like today. When I got to church, I learned our pastor hadn’t been feeling well. Long story short, he was kept overnight in the hospital for observation. Of course, not having a pastor meant not being able to do certain parts of the liturgy, including Communion. So we did the parts of the service we could and skipped the parts we couldn’t. And you know what? It wasn’t the end of the world. We survived.

So often in life we're not able to shift gears quite that easily. Why? I’m not sure. Maybe we’re creatures of habit, find comfort in routines. But I've found that often when the unexpected happens, good comes out of it. I don’t mean to imply that I’m glad Pastor Greg was ill, but I’m proud of the way the congregation handled his unexpected absence. Their actions speak volumes. 

So how does this relate to writing? 

Often you need to throw in the unexpected and see how your characters react. He breaks a leg. She gets pregnant. He loses his wife. She wins the lottery.

 Life is full of  unexpected moments, and it’s how our characters react to these unexpected moments that show us the kind of person he or she is. Devious?  Loving? Hot tempered?  A schemer?

Just like Pastor Greg’s unexpected absence showed that the congregation he leads is a loving, caring group who comes together in time of need.

Don't be afraid to make things difficult for your characters. Put your baby in the corner and see what happens.

And those are my thoughts for this Sunday:)