The cheesiest song on the first Willie Wonka film is “Cheer up Charlie.” Anyone remember it? Charlie’s mom, wearing a hideous blond wig, croons for Charlie to cheer up and not be afraid.

This week, I needed Charlie’s mom to sing me that song. Nothing major is wrong (it’s not like I’m dependent on winning the golden ticket for my family to be rescued from British poverty), I think I’m tired. I work very hard at writing, publicizing, marketing, speaking, promoting, doing . . . and sometimes it feels like I’m going nowhere.

And yet, Holly sent me an email yesterday that encouraged me. I asked her to pray for my novels, that they would sell, not to build the Mary DeMuth book empire, but so that men and women who have been ravaged by sexual abuse can find healing. The cool thing was she was praying EXACTLY THAT when I emailed her. How cool is that?

God is behind the scenes, doing His stuff. I’m thankful for that. Oh to be patient when I work and work and work, to realize His hand behind everything. To wait on His timing. To walk a path where I know when to stop, to rest, to pick activity back up, to go, to stop.

Do you do that? Work hard, then get discouraged? I pray God would send you a Holly, someone who confirms what you’ve hoped all along, that God is at work even as you languish.

So, cheer up, blogreader. Don’t be afraid. In all your busyness and exhaustion, know that God is working still.