A Seasoned Cheerleader – Les Stobbe

I’m getting geared up for Inscribe’s annual fall conference at the end of this month and it made me think of another conference I was at earlier this year. where literary agent Les Stobbe was the keynote. I can’t say enough about what a truly humble and helpful man he is. He is a real cheerleader in his field and highly respected in the industry. Here are some golden  takeaways from this wise elder.

Les says he felt ‘called’ to be a writer from an early age and outlined for us many of the ‘God moments’ in his writing life. These were events, opportunities, and even trials that, in hindsight, were training for later work in his career as a writer, editor and agent. God moments may involve taking risks. Even mundane tasks could be training for other things. For instance, he graded essays at one point to make money but it turned out to be wonderful training as an editor. I was very inspired to write down my own ‘God moments’ (although I am still working on that…) and it is encouraging to see how God weaves all these things into the tapestry of one’s life purpose.

He also used Moses as a great Biblical example of following one’s calling. Moses had a lot of objections but God said, “I will be with you.” If God has called us to be writers then it is our job to obey, not question His wisdom. if we rely on Him, He will do the work through us.

Les challenged us to always strive for excellence. Work hard and seize each opportunity God puts in your path.. Nothing is wasted in God’s economy. All experiences connect and have an impact on the outcome as a whole.

His final advice – and perhaps the most important – was to always engage in focused prayer.

The Christian life abounds with opportunities. Be prepared in season and out of season.