Into the Fire

Okay, if you’ve read even one of the posts here at my blog, you’ve figured out I’m a passionate, emotional, deep feeling individual with more heart (I hope) than sense. So be it. Not going to change this late in the game. Don’t really want to either, if the truth be known.

I suppose you want to know what brought that on. Well, I’ll tell ya. I didn’t watch the movie “Braveheart”—my husband and son have watched it a zillion times, at least. We have the soundtrack, and for you Braveheart fans, there’s a particular melody on it which never, and I seriously mean NEVER, fails to bring me to tears. Like weeping tears. Guess what? My son’s playing it upstairs, and I experienced the traditional tearful accompaniment.

Isn’t music powerful? Profound in its power to influence a mood, an experience, an attitude. That influence can be an ascension to a higher place or a devolving tour to the darker realms. I can truthfully say to you that music had a huge impact on my decision to join the “drugs, sex, rock ‘n’ roll” generation as a participant. Having the writing nature, I listened to all the lyrics and over time let them have their way with me. It wasn’t an easy choice for me. I wanted to be pure, to do the “right” things. I wanted to honor the way my loving parents had raised me, but the music undermined my right thinking and produced wrong actions.

Rebellion is a funny thing: there are so many variables which set it off. I wasn’t rebelling against my parents, I was rebelling against being unhappy and dissatisfied and not knowing why. No one told me the absence of a relationship with Jesus Christ was at the root of it all. I thought since being “good” didn’t make me happy, maybe being “bad” would. Do you know I had to force myself to swear and teach myself to cuss? It did NOT come easy, but I mastered it. Sheer determination. (Did I mention I also have a tendency to be stubborn? Yeah, really.) I also had to teach myself to use the word “ain’t”. I don’t think I ever used it in my life until I went to the racetrack. Writing has a tendency to make you want to use good English, you know?

Point being here . . . writing is equally powerful, equally profound, equal in potential to be dangerous and harmful as music is. Just as music can be passionate and emotional or boring and despicable, so goes writing. The amazing part about yielding your writing to the Lord is that He can touch it, anoint it, make it beautiful in its uniqueness, make it His own work through your willing hands. And when He does, the profound influence will resonate wherever He takes it. And sometimes tears will flow, or laughs will surge to the surface, or commiseration will ensue, or wistful pondering will linger. Ahhh, the beauty of a Spirit-led book. Write one.

Heavenly Father, give me a yielded spirit, hear my heart, use my hands, speak life into the words, make my writing profound in its sphere of influence that you alone ordain. Beautiful Savior, Spirit of Truth, may your Presence permeate every story you give me to tell. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.