NEGLECT
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| On Flickr by EllYouKayEee |
The silver tray peeked out from under a
pile of unused house decorations. When I cleared it all away, I
frowned as the once shiny gift did not hold my reflection, but a
rusty dull tarnish. Was it ruined? Had I neglected it too long and
now it was no longer the treasure I received for my wedding long ago?
Panic fluttered in my chest as I
wondered if the silver tray would ever match up to the shining beauty
in my memory—(and I also feared what my mother would think if she'd
seen how much I neglected the gift!)
Have you tucked your writing gift away,
and allowed time to eat its way through your confidence, your dream?
And when you dare to face that gift again, does the panic rise, the
fear that, perhaps you've lost it, you've allowed time to suffocate
the beauty in your ability?
I have.
In the name of taking a break, I tucked my gift away. And now, as I venture to blow the dust off my writing skills, that same panic I felt when I saw my neglected tray, niggled in my heart. Had I abandoned the gift God gave me—forever? Sure, I'd enjoyed the progress of six years of writing, the baby steps I'd taken toward publishing, and now, with a new year upon us, has my gift deteriorated to rust?
In the name of taking a break, I tucked my gift away. And now, as I venture to blow the dust off my writing skills, that same panic I felt when I saw my neglected tray, niggled in my heart. Had I abandoned the gift God gave me—forever? Sure, I'd enjoyed the progress of six years of writing, the baby steps I'd taken toward publishing, and now, with a new year upon us, has my gift deteriorated to rust?
What if I can't write well anymore?
What if the break wasn't a time of
rest but a destructive neglect of my ability?
But as I remember God's whispers to me
long ago, I have you right where I want you, and that This path IS where I wants you, I can trust in
the God who gave me the gift in the first place.
POLISH
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| On Flickr by MyLifeThroughPhotography |
A little silver polish and some elbow
grease was needed to make my tray shine again. This writer just needed to refocus, using Scripture and prayer to work
off the rust. God's word tells us:
"For we are God's handiwork, created in
Christ Jesus to devote ourselves to the good deeds for which God has
designed us." Ephesians 2:10 NEB
I am currently taking the study, Everything Is
Possible with God by Rick Warren, which is perfect to get me back on track with
polishing my gift. Warren talks about God's hand in fulfilling our
dreams. Warren makes four points using Scripture that also spurred on
questions of my own:
- DON'T FEAR: “I will never leave you. I will never abandon you.” Hebrews 13:5 TEV
If I am certain that my writing really
is God's gift to me,
than why would I think He would take it away
and abandon me?
- DON'T FRET: “Rest in the Lord; wait patiently for him to act...Don't fret and worry—it only leads to harm.” Psalm 37:7-8
If I rush into writing again, without
God equipping me,
then what good will come out of it?
- DON'T FAINT: “Always pray and never lose heart.” Luke 18:1 PH“They that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength. They shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; they shall walk, and not faint.” Isaiah 40:31KJV
Have I prayed about God's direction to
polish my gift?
To write the stories He wants me to write? To use
His words, not my own?
4. DON'T FORGET: “I will bless
the LORD and not forget the glorious things he does for
me.”
Psalm 103:2 LB
“The LORD is not being slow in
carrying out his promises...rather, he is being patient with
you.”
2Peter 3:9 NJB
How many things has the
LORD done for me on this writing journey?
Why would he forsake me now?
With care and quiet diligence, I rub the polishing cream over the soiled surface of the tray, and as I smear away the neglect, the gift returns a glimmer of hope, and then a bright shine of promise that it is still a piece to be treasured.
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| On Flickr by Kotomicreations |
Do you know that your God has given you your gift for keeps? That no matter how much you lay it aside, or tuck it away, if you seek His will, He will bless you anew with the treasure He crafted only for you?
What will you do now? Walk away without hope in the shine, or begin to polish for a bright treasure ahead?
Angie
Dicken first began writing fiction as a creative outlet during the
monotonous days of diapers and temper tantrums. She is passionate to
impress God's love on women regardless of their background or belief.
This desire serves as a catalyst for Angie's fiction, which weaves
salvation and grace themes across historical cultures and social boundaries. Angie is an ACFW member and is represented by Tamela Hancock Murray of the Steve Laube Agency.
