How Victoria Sponge was born

Margaret: One of my goals in life was to write a book. In my head I have written many, but not on paper. It was a goal that I knew I could not fulfill, but then when has that ever stopped me! But in fact, in this case, this achievement did seem like trying to get to the moon. Apart from that, lets face it, life gets pretty busy with three children and a husband, along with a part time job, which tended to be full time when you added all the extra hours that seeped into everyday life. 

Having said that, the opportunity to write afforded itself when I gave up my last job. With some time on my hands, (I laugh as there are never enough hours in a day to do all the things I want to) I wondered what God had in store for me next. Then in the early hours of the morning, one eventful day, I had a strong urge that I must talk to God, or rather that God wanted to talk to me. So we talked and it went something like this:

God - I want you to write a story.

Me - Yeh right. You want me to write a story!

God - Yes.

Me - Haven't you forgotten that I am dyslexic and find it hard to write more than a page and a half. My spelling is humorous and my punctuation a joke. My memory is such that I can't remember plots and characters and get lost when trying to put all the pieces into the jigsaw. I could no longer write a book than I could swim underwater for an hour. 

God - You are forgetting who is asking you. I want you to write a book.

Me - Yes, but....

God - I don't do buts. Margaret, I need your hands to type and I will give you the words.

Me - Okay, when do we start.

God - When everyone has left the house. Now get some sleep as we are going on a journey in the morning, and I need you wide awake.

So that was that. I had been given my instructions and I knew not to go against my Father in heaven.

Call me mad or insane, a religious nut, whatever, but I obeyed this calling and Victoria Sponge was born. I sat with my laptop and typed. The words flowed from my mind to my fingers and the theme and message of the book took shape. 

At the time I had some health issues, and as we wrote the book these began to get better. Healing took place in my life as well as in my body. I can truly say God spoke to my inner being during this time and I felt amazingly blessed being used by my Father.  

When we had finished, over 75,000 words later, I read the book, (of course it took longer than a day!) and was blown away with the script. It still makes me laugh, think and cry. Now that may sound full of pride, but I know my limitations, and can only state that a greater person than I had a hand in this. 

When all was said and done, I felt the urge to approach publishers with the script. I felt that the  message was not just for me but for others, to encourage them and to know that God is so close to them in everyday matters. That He really does want to hear about the mundane and be part of it as well as the 'big stuff'. That his journey to Calvary and the Resurrection is intertwined with our own messy lives. 

Victoria sponge as we all know is a cake, a very famous one. Victoria Sponge the character, is not, she is an everyday lady coping with life's struggles. God has put in his ingredients into her make up and wants to be her raising agent. 

The challenge of the book is to allow God into our messiness and to surrender to His victory. Are we bold enough to do so? Do we love Him enough to allow Him to bake us into a fabulous cake, one that can rise to unfathomable heights with His help.