Absolutely Blown Away

I had already picked out my topic for this week's blog several weeks ago because today is my thirteenth wedding anniversary!  I was going to write about my husband and the support he has been to me through this process and maybe even talk a little bit about our history together, but God changed my plans.  I'll just save that topic for another date, but today I have to share something else because I am just absolutely blown away by what has happened!

I've mentioned before that being a self-published author means that I have no one doing marketing or publicity for me.  I am my own agent.  When I put my book on Amazon, I think the scariest thing for me was that I had to rely on God to take it wherever it would go.  If that meant that only my friends and family would ever read it, then that was going to have to be okay with me.  If it took off and sold like crazy, well, that would be okay, too.  My sphere of influence is really very small.  I had let my friends and family know about it and asked them to pass on the news to their friends and family.

This process makes my sales kind of peak and valley.  One month I hardly have any book sales and then the next there will be several.  The thing I've noticed is that when I have a good month, if I Google my book I'll find that someone has posted it on a list or blog or something to get attention.  Can I tell you how supremely grateful I am to every person who has ever done this?  If you are one of those people, thank you, thank you, thank you!

To give you an idea of how the peaks and valleys go, I want to share with you what has happened the last few months.  In February, 12 copies sold and that was actually a good month to date.  In March, it took off and I had 100 sales!  April started slow, but I ended with 22 books sold. 

Now here's where my mind was blown.  May started very slowly.  I had 9 copies sold heading into the last week of the month.  I was sitting and thinking about it and wondering what was going on.  Suddenly, it hit me that I needed to realize Who was in control.  I can worry and agonize over what I should do or if I should do anything.  I can rejoice when it sells well and be disappointed when it doesn't, or I can just understand that God is in control and let Him take it wherever He will.  I said, "The Lord gives and the Lord takes away.  Blessed be the name of the Lord."  (from Job 1:21)  I told God that no matter what happened I understood that He was in control and I was going to bless His name regardless of the situation.

Yesterday morning I woke up and 16 copies had sold.  Last night I looked at it said 357 books were sold!  I couldn't believe my eyes.  A minute later I checked again and it said 360 books were sold!  I took it to my husband, Joel, to show him and it was up to 362!  I was in tears!  My husband hugged me close and told me how proud he was of me and how happy he was that my hard work was paying off.  (I told you that he's been so supportive of me!  I am so thankful for my husband!) 

I don't say any of this to sound like I've got it all figured out, because, believe me, I don't.  I feel sometimes like God is taking me on this journey in part to teach to me to let go!  In another couple months, I may have to go through this all over again.  But maybe eventually I'll learn.  I also don't say this because I think I stumbled on a "magic" prayer.  I cannot presume to know the mind of God.  I don't know if one had anything to do with the other, but it meant something to me and it was something that I needed.

As of right now, my book has sold 476 copies this month - most of that just within the last two days!  All I can do is sit back and marvel.  I am blown away and emotional and just extremely thankful.   One more thing.  "Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen."  (Ephesians 3:20-21) 

Best Laid Plans by Courtney Lyman