The Story That Wouldn't Go Away - Gloria Guest

"How is God speaking to you about your faith and writing? How are you anticipating God’s presence? How does He want you to step forward in faith?"

When I put the words ‘my faith’ and ‘writing’ together these are the thoughts that come to mind:

Last year I took the opportunity to write a short story for Inscribes Anthology, Christmas Stories & More. It was a faith inducing experience for me as I’ve resisted sending my work out for publication for years (other than newspaper articles and columns). Due to the encouragement of a good friend I pushed through that wall of resistance and sent in my story, even though I wasn’t happy with it and could only think about its flaws after it was sent. Thankfully the editor team saw more than flaws and it was published in the book.

I’d always had the tendency to simply forget about my newspaper articles and columns once they were in print. Once in a while someone would mention an article or column they liked and I was always so surprised and just brush off their kind comments. 

And so I thought I’d just forget about this story too. But for some reason that story just would not go away. Some people who read it offered encouraging comments more than once. Then a friend (also an Inscribe member with a story in the book) read it out loud at her Author’s Reading (things were getting out of control) and then told me that a lady who attended the meeting wanted to read it at her church’s Christmas program (now things had really gone off the deep end) This story seemed to be taking on a life of its own.

 I had offered a copy to my physiotherapist to leave in her waiting room and she phoned and left a message just to encourage me that she loved the story. And then at my appointment she brought it up again and wanted to know more about my writing. Being the encouraging person that she is she asked me if I’d ever thought of writing for Christian magazines, especially since I had experience as a reporter. Little did she know that she had touched on a dream in my heart; to be able to write articles for a faith based magazine on a regular basis.

I have to admit that I’ve always been the ‘hide my talents under a bushel’ kind of person. But with the comments and other promptings I’ve been coming to understand that that maybe my writing is meant to expand beyond my small thinking.

This year, I will choose to anticipate that God’s presence will go with me as I make more attempts into the published world. I haven’t decided yet what they will be and I may never write for a faith based magazine, but I’m trusting that when I hear that small voice prompt me to step forward in some way, that I will and can act.

“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me,” [Phil 4:13 NKJV] is the perfect scripture for my writing life this year.