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The Scripture reading for January 27 included the Parable
of the Mustard Seed, which has always been a favorite of mine. I spent the next
few days reflecting on the short passage and realized how it applied to my
writing journey. I wanted to share a few of my thoughts and invite you to add your
own insights on the following passage.
Jesus
said,
“To what shall we compare the Kingdom of God,
or what parable can we use for it?
It is like a mustard seed that, when it is sown in the ground,
is the smallest of all the seeds on the earth.
But once it is sown, it springs up and becomes the largest of plants
and puts forth large branches,
so that the birds of the sky can dwell in its shade.”
Mark
4:30-34
Christ walked along the shore of the Sea of Galilee and called
his disciples to follow him and become fishers
of men. As Christian writers, we’re following a similar call in that our
stories reflect the Good News and spread the love of the Lord. Readers are
sometimes uplifted and renewed in their faith when they read Christian fiction.
Those who struggle with past mistakes may be able to forgive themselves or
forgive others who have hurt them. When they are able to forgive, they are
often able—at long last—to open their hearts to the Lord.
How did Christ call you to be one of His Christian writers?
My “call” from the Lord was like the parable of the tiny
mustard seed. I published a few articles when my children were young, but as
they grew, I put my writing on hold and spent my free time volunteering in my
church and community as well as in the children’s schools. We were a military
family and moved often. As the little ones grew and as we made our home in
various areas around the United States and in Germany, I felt that tiny mustard
seed start to grow. The Lord provided not coincedences, but God-incedences that
slowly revealed the path He wanted me to walk. The year before we moved to
Georgia, I started writing again, and when we moved to our present home, I
found a vibrant writing community and others who were working toward
publication. No doubt, the Lord knew it was time for that mustard seed to mature
and blossom.
Looking back, writing had always been a desire of my heart.
Sometimes we think those special dreams are of our own making. In reality, I
believe the Lord plants those desires, like a mustard seed. He knows what will
bring us joy and fulfillment. He knows our gifts and talents, and He instills
in us those special dreams that will sprout into worthwhile endeavors that
fulfill the desires of our hearts.
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Has the Lord called you to be one of His writers? Share the
story of your “call” and whether the Parable of the Mustard Seed has meaning in
your life.
Happy Writing!
Wishing you abundant blessings,
Debby Giusti
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IN A SNIPER’S CROSSHAIRS
By Debby Giusti
An assassin’s loose in Amish country…and she’s not the only target.
When a radio broadcast describes taxi driver Lily Hudson’s passenger as an armed criminal, she becomes his immediate target. Narrowly escaping, Lily accepts Matthias Overholt’s offer to hide at his Amish family farm for Christmas—until evidence reveals the gunman’s plan is tied to Lily’s past. Now to prevent an assassination, Lily and Matthias must unravel a years-old conspiracy…and evade a sniper who has them in his sights.
Order HERE!
Great post, Debby! Love how it all worked out, you moved, you found a writing community, and you had started writing again. When we take the time to look, we can see God at work all around us.
ReplyDeleteSo true, Sally! This is Debby. Blogger is calling me anonymous today. :)
ReplyDeleteSometimes being anonymous is a good thing!
DeleteI love your word God-incedences and am adding it to my vocabulary. What a great post, Debbie! Thank you! I, too, have always felt that desire to write. I attempted my first novel at 19, and I praise the Lord that it never saw the light of day! I didn't move around like you, but I did put my writing on hold while I raised children, served in my church, and ministered to the women around me. I kept putting writing on the back burner partly because I always struggled with whether or not it was "okay" for me to invest so much time and energy in something that was so solitary. I have since learned that whether or not I write, God made me to need the solitary like I need to breathe, so while I'm sitting there alone, I might as well write. There's lots more to it than that, of course , but this post is already long, so we'll leave it there . I'm still muddling through the middle of my story, though, and haven't yet gotten to the confirmation of publication in the end. But I now believe that writing is this beautiful, precious, delightful gift that God has given to me, and He is pleased when I take it off the shelf, play with it, and tell others about the Giver of the gift that brings me such joy. Publication, I think, one way or another, is now just a matter of His timing.
ReplyDeleteLovely, Terri. I had to give myself permission to take time away from my family to write. I’m sure you can relate!
DeleteDebby
Debby, I love how the Lord gave you just the right time to start. I have always wanted to write and have published many short stories and articles, but put off for so long working on the novel that I wanted to write. I have finally written it, but have put off the revision. I am really working on it now. I still can't let go of that dream.
ReplyDeleteSandy, good for you! I wrote six books before one sold. Don’t give up!
ReplyDeleteDebby
I loved this so much, and I've saved it so that I can get inspiration from it again. I don't believe that I'm called to write Christian fiction but I do believe that I'm called to write about it. My job at the library offered me the chance to support literacy and I often was able to suggest books to our patrons. I actually didn't have a lot of time to read then, but since my retirement, I've changed that! Now I review books and write about them on my blog and I do feel that God has nudged me to devote my blog to clean reads and Christian fiction/nonfiction.
ReplyDelete