Wright Words: Why I'm glad I lost my campaign for Congress

When the state convention arrived, I discovered I’d been grossly outspent and outspoken. I was outworked and worked over. I never tested the theory, but I’ve always suspected that everyone who voted for me could fit in the checkout line of your local Kwik-E-Mart.

Indeed, when the votes were counted, I had more unanswered prayers than votes.

As I pulled yard signs from the hard ground and untied my shoestring campaign, I fixated on two simple questions. Doesn’t Heavenly Father answer prayers? So what was the point?

Soon after the campaign ended, I accepted an unexpected job offer to move to Virginia and begin working at a think-tank. Within weeks, I was writing and within months, I had op-eds published in several newspapers. A year later, I appeared for the first time on Fox News and sat at a conference room table across from the President of the United States, George W. Bush.

With a dose of confidence, I began writing more and published my first novel. The next year came another, then another, then a literal move from the city to the country and a figurative move from politics to full-time fiction and public speaking.

This week as I walked the halls of Congress, my failed campaign and the lessons came back to me. No, I'm not working on Capitol Hill or effecting change in government. But I'm happy, spiritually fulfilled and finding ways to share my faith through written and spoken words at every opportunity.

That's why I'm glad I lost my campaign for Congress.

Jason F. Wright is a New York Times best-selling author of eight books, including "Christmas Jars," "The Wednesday Letters" and "The Wedding Letters." He can be reached at feedback@jasonfwright.com or www.jasonfwright.com.