Once upon a time there was a girl (ok, so she’s really a grown woman who still thinks of herself as a girl) who had a dream. It was a nice dream. A good dream. A safe dream. Her dream was to write a book about a blind horse whose story had touched her heart. Her dream was to self-publish the book, selling it for $5 to the 25 or so family members she could convince to buy it, and then donate the proceeds to the ranch where the horse had lived. She loved her dream and kept it close to her heart, partly so that it wouldn’t float away, and partly because she was scared to share it with anyone. For the girl had never written a book before. In fact, the girl didn’t even know anything about horses!
“Surely my dream is just….a dream,” the girl thought.
And so she held her dream close, hiding it from those around her. Only pulling it out when the urge to write became stronger than fear of discovery.
She wrote and wrote, even though she didn’t know what she was writing.
Was it fiction? Or a true story? Was it for children? Or adults? Was it an animal story? Or a memoir?
So many questions, so few answers.
“Surely this is silly,” the girl thought. “Surely I should stop this nonsense,” she mumbled.
But the words wouldn’t stop coming. The thoughts tumbled out of her faster than her fear could hold them back. And so she wrote and wrote and wrote some more.
One day, the girl came across a literary agent offering phone consultations to help writers who had questions and needed answers. And although the girl knew she was not a real writer, she did indeed have a question. A question that refused to go unanswered. A question that grew louder and bolder than the girl’s fear could contain. And so one October day the girl bravely picked up her phone and spoke to the kind agent. The agent listened to the girl’s story. She listened to the girl’s question. And then she spoke.
“This is a powerful story,” the agent said.
The girl exhaled a breath she had been holding for years. Could it be true? She dared to believe. Feeling emboldened by the agent’s words, the girl was about to ask for recommendations on self-publishing. But the agent silenced her with her next words.
“This for sure is a book,” the agent said. “But it’s also a film.”
The girl had no words.
None.
The agent kept talking, and planning and dreaming. Big dreams. Giant dreams. Dreams that the girl didn’t know she could dream. Dreams she would never dare to dream.
But the agent did. She dreamed and she dreamed. And within months the girl had a book contract. She felt dizzy. She often thought someone was going to realize their mistake and come and take it all away. But they didn’t. Instead they helped the girl to rewrite her story. They taught the girl. Encouraged the girl. Brought words from the girl’s heart. They helped the girl dream bigger dreams. They continually pointed the girl to the Author of every good dream. They reminded her often that when she pursues His dreams that anything is possible. The girl was still scared but she was beginning to believe them. And she was trusting the Giver of her dream. Her now much bigger dream.
And then one day the girl was given her dream, in the form of pages of a book. Her little dream was there in black and white print. Her dream was now a reality. Her dream was now ready to go and shine light onto other people’s dreams.
But the Giver of her dream wasn’t done, not yet. No, His dream was still bigger. There were more people He wanted to reach.
And so one day, as the girl was scrolling through her newsfeed, she saw a post. A post from a woman who was going to take her dream in a different direction. Who was going to give her dream new dimensions and brighter colors. The woman, a film producer, had posted about the girl’s book. The girl’s book that is now in development to become a movie.
The girl just stared at her screen. For she had known the producer had acquired the rights to make her book a film. She had signed the papers after all. But the girl had been too afraid to dream that big. Too afraid to believe it was real. And so she had tucked that dream safely away where the disappointment couldn’t hurt.
But as the girl stared at the post, she could no longer keep anything contained. Every dream. Every hope. Every prayer came pouring out of her. Dreams she had dared to dream now floated heavenward with her praise.
Tears of gratitude, humility and joy fell from the girl’s eyes.
How had she gotten here? Who was she to experience this?
She looked up from her screen. Her face bathed in the warmth of the sun.
“It’s all you,” she whispered through her tears. “It’s always been you,” she spoke aloud. The Giver of dreams, the Author of hope, the Grantor of grace was the One who had called her to write. He was the one who gave her just enough of a glimpse of His calling at each step of the journey. For He knew that if He showed her too much too soon He would have overwhelmed her, sent her scurrying away. And so He slowly, carefully led her along each and every step. Bringing just the right person at just the right time to advance her steps and reveal more of the dream He was growing in her heart.
His dream.
His calling,
His horse…His story….His girl.
His grateful, humbled, grace-saturated girl.
Much love,
Jen
ps-sorry it took me all those words to tell you that JOEY the book is in development to become JOEY the movie!!!! (what?!?!? Only God you guys, only GOD) Stay tuned for more details…..
Want to learn more about JOEY and the writing process? See First Joey Interview: On Writing, Horses, and Hope, News I can finally share, Starting Over, JOEY (Available May 8th, 2018)
Sue horn says
When I think I have no more tears….then I read another sentence and my tears flow again down my face. Love you Jennifer ?
Jen Bleakley says
<3
Sandy says
I loved reading your background story of how this all came to be!
Tish says
Beautiful blog! Beautiful girl! Beautiful story! AMAZING GOD!!
Kathy Brown says
I have no words to tell you how happy this makes me, although you wouldn’t know it if you saw the tears running down my face. Can’t wait to read the book and see the movie!
Jen Bleakley says
Thank you so much Kathy!! So thankful for your encouragement and excitement for JOEY! <3
Mary says
A powerful story. God is so good❤️