"Solid Rock" Memories by Connie Inglis

As I've shared on this blog before, I haven't been writing for that many years so I don't have many writing memories that have become memorials for me. However, I do have many faith memories that have become memorials for me. Long ago I termed these memories, "rocks," just like in Joshua 4 where God asks one man from each tribe to pick a stone from the middle of the Jordan, cross into the Promised Land, and then build a memorial. Joshua 4:7--"These stones will stand as a memorial among the people of Israel forever," i.e. my "Solid Rocks." 

A year ago, during a difficult family time, God gave me one such rock of promised faithfulness through a rainbow. This wasn't just any rainbow. This was a vibrant, almost electrical, iridescent rainbow that followed our car as we ribboned our way through the Coquihalla Pass in B.C. As it danced alongside our car for half an hour, I felt like I could reach out and touch it's golden strands of promise. I knew that God did this for me--to remind me that all would be well. He knew I needed a rock. He is a good God.

That being said, I do have a couple of writing "rocks" that remind me of God's faithfulness to my obedience in writing for His glory.

In 2004, after years of putting my schooling on hold,  I returned to course work by correspondence to finish my English degree. It was a return to publishable writing. For one of my courses I was asked to write a contemplative piece so I wrote a tribute to my dad from the summer when I was 15. My sister and I spent that whole summer helping build the house that my parents lived in for almost 40 years. I received a good grade so I thought I'd submit it to the MB Herald for their June Father's Day focus. When my submission was accepted, I was thrilled. It was a surprise for my parents and I couldn't wait for them to receive their copy in the mail. That published piece became my "rock" as I continued in my course work and my writing. You can read my piece here:
http://www.mbherald.com/45/08/housejake.en.html

Then in 2010 I submitted another piece for Mother's Day which you can read here:
http://mbherald.com/my-mothers-magical-kingdom/

These two pieces are part of my memorial, an alter of thanksgiving to God for the opportunity to write for Him. They are a source of strength and courage. And they are a reminder of God's faithfulness in my life and that He has made me unique, with something to offer the world through the written word.

And along with this, I never forget that I too am a rock in God's hands--a rock that He is cutting and tumbling and carving and faceting for His glory so that I can shine uniquely for Him. Part of that uniqueness is being able to write. I remember that this too is a precious "Solid Rock."