The Night the Sky Sang by Lorrie Orr

 

December is a month filled with story, the story of God reaching down in love. This month’s prompt asks you to share a story about Christmas. It can be funny, poignant, sad, or inspirational.

The Night the Sky Sang

I know what people think about shepherds. Crude, smelly, and not very intellectual. Our lives are ordinary, even tedious. It's hot in the daytime and cold at night. Sheep are stupid animals - they get themselves into a lot of trouble if there's no one watching them. You can't be a shepherd and be lazy. It might not take much education, but it does take skill and perseverance. We shepherds usually work as a team and keep an eye out for each other's sheep. It's more efficient. 

I like the nights best of all. We find a bit of shelter from the wind, perhaps against a big rock, and build a fire. There's conversation. Mixed in with the chitchat some serious debate goes on. Philosophy, you might call it. Life, love, and politics. On such a night my life changed. 

The fire was dying down. I lay on my back, wrapped in my cloak, watching the stars. How far away they looked, and how beautiful. Conversation dwindled to silence. My eyelids sagged, weighted by sleep. Then, blinding light. I awoke with a start. From out of nowhere appeared this glowing being. I know it was an angel, but to this day I can't completely describe it. I jumped to my feet along with the other shepherds. Then I cowered in fear. I was certain I would be struck dead. Instead, I heard a voice say, 

"Don't be afraid. Listen to me. I have good news for you."

The angel went on to tell us about the birth of a baby, a Saviour, the Saviour we had been waiting for. He said it was news of great joy for the whole world. Before I had time to really think about his words, the sky filled with more angels, and music. It was as if the stars and angels whirled and danced together in a vast chorus of light and sound.

The sight tore at my heart and caused such an ache of longing deep inside that I clutched my hands to my chest. The song was perfect, the most perfect thing I'd ever heard. It made me long to join them, to raise my cracked warble in the same harmony of praise to Almighty God. Tears ran down my skin, and I knew the message of the angels was for me. God was sending his son into my stinky, dirty world.

Then just as suddenly as they came, the angels left. The stars had hardly changed position. The small fire still burned low. Everything was the same, and everything was different. We stood there, our hearts thumping wildly. 

"Did you see...?"

"Could it be?"

"Let's go!"

The angel had told us where to find the baby, and we stumbled over rocks and tufts of grass in our eagerness to get there. We stood outside the stable, hesitant for a moment. A man appeared, tired, with a puzzled look on his face. None of us knew what to say to him. Then Jethro stepped forward.

"Please," he said, "we want to see the Saviour, the baby."

And then we all spoke at once, blurting out words about angels and music. The man smiled slightly, then beckoned us to enter.

My eyes were drawn to the baby, so helpless, lying in a manger. His mother watched us carefully but said nothing as we crowded nearer. I even dared to reach out and touch his soft, tiny head with my rough fingers. 

We left soon after, seeing the fatigue on the young mother's face. I knew that I couldn't keep this news to myself. It was too wonderful, too amazing. I told everyone I met about the baby. And then, I went back to the sheep, to the hillside and the night fires, but I wasn't the same person inside.

God, who lived beyond the stars, was suddenly close. That night I caught a glimpse of him. Now when I go to the Temple and hear the priests' monotone reading of the glory of God, I think back and even now, my breath catches in my throat. 

            

           Lorrie Orr loves Christmas and is so glad for the gift of Immanuel, God with us. She writes from Victoria, BC, where she always hopes for a bit snow in winter, but celebrates whatever the weather. More of her writing can be found at her blog, Fabric Paper Thread, and on Substack, where she is posting excerpts from her memoir, Life is Short but Wide.  

            

When You Hear That Negative Voice: Guest Post by Peggianne Wright

 

Please welcome Peggianne Wright as she joins us today as our Guest Blogger.

 

My heart flutters at an almost immeasurable speed, my stomach does summersaults and is tied in knots all at the same time, my fingers tremble as they hover over the keyboard. There's a voice inside my head taunting me with a maniacal laugh saying, "Who do you think you are?".

Imposter syndrome.

We've all, at one point or another in our writing careers, suffered the anguish and self-doubt inspired by listening to the wrong voice in our minds. Allowing space for the negativity to creep in and grow. It's always been a mystery to me why, in our human nature, we're more apt to believe the negative than the positive? 

As a writer hovering somewhere between advanced beginner and competent, I find I am in need of learning and relearning the habits required to push self-doubt and overthinking out of my head. And, in the process of doing this, avoid the temptation of sinful pride. Whew, that sure can be a fine line. 

Scripture tells us that God created each of us for our unique purpose (Jeremiah 29:11) and He alone is in control (Job 42:2). If we endeavour to fill our minds with the right thoughts, the words flowing from our pens and keyboards will not be ours to claim, but the Father's, who has given us the manuscript. It is then, that we can beat down and smother that negative voice, knowing that our work is God-inspired and His to give credit.

Preparation to Propel the Enemy

Just as an athlete must prepare for a competition by stretching or a musician by tuning their instrument, so too should we as scribes do some pre-writing conditioning. Create a routine that includes the following steps and practice it before (or after, or during) each and every writing session. 

Prayer is more powerful than most of us realize. So, even before we open our laptop or pick up that ballpoint, let us stop and give thanks for our God-given talent. Ask God for His direction and pray that whatever writing we're about to do be of His will. Pray that what we're about to write honours Him and points our readers to Him. On my glass desktop I have written, directly beside my laptop, in bold block letters with erasable white marker "PRAY FIRST".

We must allow our faith and the Holy Spirit to guide us. "In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans" (Romans 8:26 NIV). Always remember that the Father wants us to be successful in whatever we do and faithfully guides us if we're listening closely. The Apostle Paul counselled his congregation, "May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope." (Romans 15:13 NIV), reminding them (and us) that in all we do, we will be guided on our path by the Holy Spirit.

Bless others always. Fellow scribes are all experiencing the same feelings. We must take time to keep each other in our prayers as well. Just as the military needs to "have each others' backs", so too must we, as members of God's army, support each other. "Let each of us please his neighbour for his good, to build him up." (Romans 15:2 NIV)

We are all authentically original. So, in those times when that nasty voice murmurs those taunts, I have learned to immediately stop and call on the Lord for His intervention. After all, He alone has led me on my writing journey and I call it an honour, privilege, and duty to point others to Him through my craft. 

"But you must remain faithful to the things you have been taught. You know they are true, for you know you can trust those who taught you." (2 Timothy 3:14 NLT) 

                                       

About the writer: Peggianne Wright is a published author and is the founder of the pet parent ministry Paws To Pray, blending her passion for the Lord and all-things-K9 to form this unique, faith-based community. Peggianne is an ardent Bible study student, devoted dog mom, wife of 44 years, and lover of music. Her blogs Spiritual Scribbles and Fur-Kid Fanatics can be found on her website www.PawsToPray.ca and you can follow her on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/PawsToPray/ and on IG @Sister_In_Prayer.

Writers as Keepers by Michelle Joy Teigrob

 

What if we as Christian writers see our role as keepers? Of course, a keeper must have something that he or she is keeping. What might that be?

In the Bible, there are keepers of all sorts of things. They read like roles in medieval tales. Here are just some I found:

- keeper of the prison
- keeper of the East Gate
- keeper of the wardrobe
- keeper of the door
- keeper of the records
- keeper of the money box
- and many references to keeper of the sheep.

The word keeper in the biblical context has some similarity to the word manager in our times. A keeper would be responsible for a certain item, like the wardrobe or the door.

However, the role goes beyond just being responsible for an item, at least in certain contexts. The keeper would also be taking on the role of protector. That is a connotation that doesn’t necessarily come up in relation to the word manager. The keeper of the sheep, for example, would be ensuring the safety of the animals.

The keeper in certain contexts might also be preserving the item. The keeper of the records, for example, would be ensuring the documents were kept intact.

So, back to my question, if we as Christian writers see ourselves as keepers, what might we be responsible for, protect, and preserve?

What if we are the keepers of hope for this generation?

There is so much trouble and so much hopelessness, more so than ever, it seems. How might our words, the words we write, keep hope alive for those who read our work?

Not long ago, my children and I rewatched Prince Caspian, the movie based on one of the beloved Narnia Chronicles by C.S. Lewis. Afterwards, my daughter exclaimed. “I love that story because it gives me hope.”

Her response reminds me that a number of different genres of writing may be infused with hope.

What was it about the Narnia story that gave my daughter hope? How can we write in order to infuse this generation with Christ’s hope?

Speaking of being a keeper, I am reminded also of lighthouse keepers and the hymn by Philip P. Bliss, Let The Lower Lights Be Burning (1871).

Brightly beams our Father's mercy
From his lighthouse evermore,
But to us he gives the keeping
Of the lights along the shore.

Let the lower lights be burning,
Send a gleam across the wave!
Some poor fainting struggling seaman,
You may rescue, you may save.

Lord, guide our pens today as we work as keepers of your light in this dark world.

Michelle Joy Teigrob lives with her family in Peterborough, Ontario. Her book on grief, Joyfully Star-mapping through Life's Dung-piles, was shortlisted for the 2025 Word Awards. Formerly writing under her married name, Strutzenberger, Michelle is in the process of shifting her writing portfolio to her pen name, Michelle Joy Teigrob.

Encouragement Comes Full Circle by Dana-Lyn Phillips

 

Please welcome InScribe member Dana-Lyn Phillips as our Guest Blogger.

After unexpectedly losing my job of nine-plus years, I decided to take some time to be intentional about seeking God’s direction for my life. Finding my purpose had been something I had struggled with for many years. Although I enjoyed my job, I always had this feeling of wanting something more…something ‘Kingdom Focused’ if you know what I mean.

After recruiting some wonderful prayer warriors to pray on my behalf, I intentionally spent a few weeks with God. God never disappoints. When I sought Him wholeheartedly, He showed up in big ways. Slowly and gently He began to reveal His plan for me. He knew I needed time to warm up to the idea. As time passed, God used multiple opportunities to speak to me and to direct me in the next steps. The problem was that I was sure I must be misunderstanding Him. He couldn’t really be asking me to do what I thought He was. As it turns out, God was encouraging me to write.

For those who don’t know me, I have to tell you how foreign this writing idea was. I have never written anything in my life other than a required school paper and an annual family Christmas letter. I have never dabbled with stories or journaling. I didn’t have a blog (nor had I ever read one), and I was not on any social media platforms. I’m also middle-aged and definitely do not have the technology equivalent of a gardener’s green thumb when it comes to computers.

Although I questioned where God was leading me, I tried for once in my life to give up control and decided to just trust, and follow. Eventually the plan became clear, and I was convinced that God was asking me to write for the purpose of encouraging Christian women in their faith.

I didn’t know where to start, or what I was doing, but I decided to jump into the deep end. I ended up creating a space on Substack where I would write to fulfill His plan for me. I named my newsletter “Plans Far Greater” because God’s plans for me are always far greater than the plans I have for myself. Substack has become a wonderful home for my writing, and the support has been amazing. I am surrounded by Christian writers who have encouraged and helped me all along the way. At the time I am writing this I have completed the writing of 13 posts on Substack and have been enjoying every minute of it. I have also written guest post submissions for a few other devotional publications. No word yet on whether or not they will be accepted.

I have always had a heart to encourage others, and this now allows me the opportunity to encourage people with God’s words, not mine. I always pray for help when crafting posts knowing that He knows who will read each post, when, and what they may need to hear.

I have been grateful for the encouragement of so many others. There are wonderfully talented writers who have been doing this for much longer, and I appreciate it when they offer me feedback and encouragement.

God encouraged me to write, and now I write to encourage others. The past few months have definitely been an adventure but one that I have been thrilled to be on. I invite you to check out my writing at https://plansfargreater.substack.com I welcome constructive criticism as well as words of encouragement.

If you are searching for your purpose in life like I was, I encourage you not to give up. It’s never too late. You aren’t here by accident; you have been created for a purpose. Don’t get discouraged but continue to pray for God’s direction in your life. Then, when He reveals it to you, don't be too scared to say “Yes”!

Dana-Lyn is a wife, and mother to teenage boys as well as a 14 year old cava-poo named Hockley. She is passionate about encouraging Christian women in their faith and is stepping into her mid-life "calling" as a writer. Her happy place consists of a comfy chair, a great book, a hot cup of coffee and a chocolate…or three! You can read more of her work at https://plansfargreater.substack.com