Our Lord and God, You are worthy to receive glory and honor and power, because you have created all things, and because of Your will they exist and were created.
Revelation 4:11
Recently in writing my third book for Tyndale House, I found myself blocked for several days. The cause of this may have been because of reviews I'd been reading regarding my sophomore novel, Dry as Rain. To some it was too Christian, to others, not Christian enough.
For days, I sat staring before a blank screen, wondering what I was writing and why. I'm telling the story of an abused wife. The plot is a simple one. Abuse is something I myself have survived through God's love, through family support, and through friends I have no doubt He strategically placed in my life.
But still, the spiritual theme was alluding me. What if what I wrote didn't put to God's truth. The Bible says that teachers are held to a higher account. That's a scary thought. The last thing I want to do when I write is to point away from God, to the world, and I've been accused of doing just that.
Luckily (blessedly) for me, I stopped writing and picked up Francine River's A Lineage of Grace compilation and began to read. By the end of the first Bible story skillfully told by Ms. Rivers, I had my purpose back. I needed to be reminded that God was not a safe writer. The Bible is full of heros and heroines who are ridiculed and misunderstood, but does God waver in His purpose? No. Nothing man can say can change who God is.
He is the ultimate author who lifts up prostitutes, drunks, tax collectors, adulterers and scoffers to be the ones He accomplishes great things through. I'll bet those who lived during biblical times would have given Him a terrible review for choosing an alcoholic to build His ark, or grafting a prostitute into His holy lineage.
Thank God for great storytellers like Francine. Thank God for His book that He gave to remind us of His heart, so wondrous, so mysterious, so perfect.
Because of God all things were created. Because of us, His people, stories are created that find another way to point to His love, power and grace.
He spoke, and we were. I'm thanking God today for His words so precious and for giving me mine, in all their imperfections. What an incredible honor. May I always have ears to listen and a heart that obeys.
Revelation 4:11
Recently in writing my third book for Tyndale House, I found myself blocked for several days. The cause of this may have been because of reviews I'd been reading regarding my sophomore novel, Dry as Rain. To some it was too Christian, to others, not Christian enough.
For days, I sat staring before a blank screen, wondering what I was writing and why. I'm telling the story of an abused wife. The plot is a simple one. Abuse is something I myself have survived through God's love, through family support, and through friends I have no doubt He strategically placed in my life.
But still, the spiritual theme was alluding me. What if what I wrote didn't put to God's truth. The Bible says that teachers are held to a higher account. That's a scary thought. The last thing I want to do when I write is to point away from God, to the world, and I've been accused of doing just that.
Luckily (blessedly) for me, I stopped writing and picked up Francine River's A Lineage of Grace compilation and began to read. By the end of the first Bible story skillfully told by Ms. Rivers, I had my purpose back. I needed to be reminded that God was not a safe writer. The Bible is full of heros and heroines who are ridiculed and misunderstood, but does God waver in His purpose? No. Nothing man can say can change who God is.
He is the ultimate author who lifts up prostitutes, drunks, tax collectors, adulterers and scoffers to be the ones He accomplishes great things through. I'll bet those who lived during biblical times would have given Him a terrible review for choosing an alcoholic to build His ark, or grafting a prostitute into His holy lineage.
Thank God for great storytellers like Francine. Thank God for His book that He gave to remind us of His heart, so wondrous, so mysterious, so perfect.
Because of God all things were created. Because of us, His people, stories are created that find another way to point to His love, power and grace.
He spoke, and we were. I'm thanking God today for His words so precious and for giving me mine, in all their imperfections. What an incredible honor. May I always have ears to listen and a heart that obeys.
Amen.
ReplyDeletei'm with you, gina. i've written two books and i'm afraid they're too Christian in worldview for secular pubs, and too "realistic" in action/circumstances for Christian pubs. the nice thing is that frank peretti's work was categorized the same way, i believe. i'm hoping Christian writers will continue to reach out to those who don't just shop at Christian bookstores for their reading material. God bless you in your efforts to glorify him.
ReplyDelete--heather
Hmm. If I get crits too early, it kills the book I'm working on. So I can believe that reviews of one book would stop the writing on the next book. I'm glad God gave you what you needed to get you back to writing!
ReplyDelete