The core task of writing fiction is to place our characters in trouble, or at least give them an overwhelming want. Without this, there is no story, no drive, no change.
What about us? What wants motivate us as we look to the future on this Christmas Eve, this New Year's Eve, this breaking forth as the light increases and we anticipate spring?
In the equatorial lands, with their hot and hotter seasons, or the southern hemisphere where the summer is in full blaze, there is yet an anticipation of fresh starts, or longings that linger from one year to the next.
Will this year bring the change I seek?
For my lifetime, I’ve struggled with the tension between hopes for the future and finding contentment in the present.
Having observed the brevity of this life, I fill my soul with anxiety for all the things I want to do and to be before my own story ends.
Where this is motivating, I believe it works for good. But I become childish, spoiled, tempted to stomp my feet when my hopes overwhelm the place of peace, the place of thanksgiving.
Then I must re-center that peace on Providence, He who has come to us as Emmanuel—God with us.
In 2024, will I look to the Prince of Peace even as I strive to meet each day, redeeming the time I have been given? Or will I churn and chafe at my limitations?
My best guess is that I will do both, but I can hope and want to shift the percentages a bit along the way.
My prayer for you is to also find the balance between your longings and contentment, to know when to aim higher and when to be at peace.
Thank you for reading Long Ago & Far Away, for the interactions in comments and Notes, for the personal emails and encouragements. Knowing you are out there keeps the creative muse alive at 3 am. I’m looking forward to the ongoing journey with you!
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Lausanne Davis Carpenter
Happiest of Holidays, Lausanne. Peace, hope, and contentment to you and yours.