by Edie Melson @EdieMelson
I was texting back and forth with my good friend and prayer
partner, Beth Vogt, sharing a struggle I was having with a series of
blog posts. As we talked, it dawned on me that instead of writing with courage
and faith, I was writing from a place of fear.
Fear of failure.
Fear of expectations.
Fear of others and how I might be perceived.
No wonder I was having such a difficult time. The revelation
stunned me. If there’s one thing I pride myself on (and that should have been
my first clue I was about to fall flat on my face), it’s the thought that I’m
not afraid of anything.
As I travel and speak to writers, that’s one of the first things
I share with them. “You must approach this writing life with courage. Be brave
and willing to try things that seem scary.”
So what did I do to
overcome this roadblock?
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| First, I took it to God in prayer. |
1. I took it to God in prayer. His word is
clear on the fact that we’re not supposed to fear. I acknowledged what I’d been
doing and turned my fears over to Him.
2. I made a list of all the things I was afraid
of. I didn’t just think about them in my mind. I put them on paper. Know
what I discovered? Most of the things I was worried about looked pretty silly
on paper.
3. I looked at the
things that weren’t silly and turned them upside down. For example: I was
afraid someone I loved would misunderstand my motive. To turn it upside down I
considered the possibility that someone God loved would see Him more clearly.
Yes, what I was fearful about could happen, but so could the other things. After
looking at things differently, I decided it was worth the risk.
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| I've chosen to spread my writing wings and soar. |
4. I gave myself
permission to write from a place of courage. I turned away from those
voices that warned of the bad things that could come. Instead, I spread my
writing wings and soared into the freedom of wordplay. I recaptured the joy of
writing from my heart, exploring the whisperings of God in the depths of my
soul. I rediscovered writing from a place of grace.
Today I’d like you to take a long look at where you are with
your writing. Ask yourself if you’re writing from a place of grace or a place
of fear. Then leave a comment below, committing to a new season writing from
grace.
Don’t forget to join the conversation!
Blessings,
Edie
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