It was like that moment your shoe sticks to the pavement because you’ve stepped in gum, or something worse. Realization visibly spread across my face when I verbally stepped onto the edge of danger. Now what? I tried to back out of the conversation, but instead came to a dead end. Whenever I depend on my own ability, I fall flat on my face, which is exactly where I should have started – on my face before the Lord. What was I thinking and how did I get here? Ah, by not thinking; I forgot to ask for directions. And by not praying; I was too busy to pray and too busy not to.

CUT:  TAKE TWO

I wandered into the muck, and I didn’t go alone. Now, I have a co-host. Learning to podcast with a co-host is like learning to dance and there were more than a few blank stares when we first began. Since we don’t script anything, we really never know what will come out of our mouths. Anyone? When we flubbed the first episode I threw the whole thing out and started over, but do-overs are stale. So now we plow ahead and edit later. I can permanently delete a recording, but oh how I wish I could permanently delete words I’ve said and things I’ve done.

Prayer first

When Jasa and I launched “The Heart of the Author Podcast,” we committed to pray and seek the Lord before every recording. We record two episodes at a time, one for the book I’ve read and one for hers. We’re having a blast and to tell the truth, it encourages me. So it’s worth it. And of course I appreciate all ten of you who listen in.

Behind the scenes

Learning to edit audio files makes me feel cool, especially if I do it at Starbucks, because yeah, I’m over fifty and I can do stuff like that. Anyway, to prevent stale take-twos, we let it roll and then I cut out the “Oh I lost my train of thoughts” and our, “I don’t even know where I was going with that.” Now you know. Someday I should let you hear the outtakes. Nah, probably not.

On the air

We walked out to the studio in our house shoes and waded right into muddy waters. The mic was live and every word was being recorded when realized how deep I’d gone. Without hitting pause on the recording, we stopped, prayed and asked the Lord for wisdom. I edited it out because you don’t necessarily need to hear it, but I love that our prayers are forever recorded in heaven and remembered by the Lord. And when He remembers, He acts.

Now that we are in a comfortable rhythm, we don’t get nervous. Just like life, when we squirm, we pray and when we sail we get complacent.

The wall in our studio is painted with chalkboard paint, so I pulled out a turquoise piece of chalk and wrote a reminder in big bold letters,

“Pray first”

Perhaps if I always prayed first before I opened my mouth, I wouldn’t need to edit. There’s an old poem that still rings true:

I got up early one morning

And I rushed right into the day

I had so much to accomplish

That I didn’t have time to pray

Problems just tumbled about me

And heavier came each task;

“Why doesn’t God help me?” I wondered

He answered, “You didn’t ask.”

I wanted to see joy and beauty

But the day toiled on gray and bleak

I wondered why God didn’t show me.

He said “But you didn’t seek.”

I tried to come into God’s presence;

I used all my keys in the lock.

God gently and lovingly chided,

“My child, you didn’t knock.”

I woke up early this morning.

And paused before entering the day,

I had so much to accomplish.

That I had to take time to pray

The truth is, we never know what each day brings. Better to pray first than step into it. How about starting tomorrow?

Psalm 119:147, “I rise early, before the sun is up; I cry out for help and put my hope in your words.” NLT

And if you haven’t listened to the podcast, join our conversations. I promise you’ll laugh with us and you’ll probably find a tidbit of truth to draw you closer to the Word. They’re just long enough to distract you while you cook or get ready in the morning. And if you enjoy listening, tell a friend. I’d love to have 11 listeners.

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