THE WORDS WE WRITE
By Patti Shene
Several weeks ago, I brought up a subject with an acquaintance that I don’t often introduce into casual conversation. I asked him if he attended church on a regular basis. A strong nudge that wouldn’t let go prompted me to pose the question.
It is not easy to initiate a conversation about our faith. We can prattle on about a movie, restaurant, or recreational activity to acquaintances, even strangers without any degree of anxiety. Yet, starting a discussion about God or inviting our closest friends and family to a worship service can tangle our tongues.
We as writers have an incredible opportunity to share the gospel, God’s truth, and Christ’s sacrifice for our sins with our readers.
Describe the rising sun as it peaks over a mountaintop and spills its rays across the landscape. Paint a picture of the moonlit path that dances across ocean waves. Take your readers through a wooded park with a slight breeze teasing hair and caressing a cheek to manifest Our Heavenly Father’s magnificent creation.
Share questions, doubts, comfort and grace that reflect the complexity and hope of our faith through dialogue.
Demonstrate the compassion respect, validation, and caring that occurs in Christian families and friendships. Display the freedom that comes with forgiveness when a character is wronged.
Let your characters encounter life situations and circumstances that showcase their struggles, coerce them to make tough choices, and transform them in some positive manner.
Let them experience real emotions that force them to face their weaknesses and gain strength through a growing relationship with God.
We as writers can bring glory to God through our words without even using His name or creating a “religious” scene. He will give us the words to convey His message if we just bend our hearts to His prompting.
I didn’t pursue the discussion about church attendance with my acquaintance. I simply carried out the request I felt the Lord had placed on my heart. Perhaps that brief encounter awakened a stirring in his soul.
Let God use your words to plant seeds of hope and truth in the hearts of readers who are waiting for a message they may not even know they are yearning to hear.
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