From Tragedy to Majesty
We all have a past. For some, childhood is where we hold our fondest memories. It's where our dreams were nurtured and developed. It was the happiest time in our lives. It's where our hope springs from to sustain us throughout our present difficulties. As beautiful as that sounds, it's not everyone's reality. For some, childhood may have been a time of hurt, loneliness, and even abuse. It might have been one of the saddest times in our lives. That is neither a shock nor a surprise to the Lord. God allowed it.
In contrast, we may not be happy about or understand our past. God's love is with us, no matter the circumstances of our life. In our minds, what we are experiencing is an overwhelming ordeal that seems earth-shattering. However, if only we would stop and allow God's love to focus our mind, we would begin to understand that circumstances are like the leaves on a tree; they change colors when the seasons change, and they also fall off. Circumstances change and fade away, but the tree and the roots endure, providing fruit, shade, and shelter for a lifetime.
I believe the best authors are not the ones who tell a story that they can articulate with poetry and words of eloquence alone. I believe the best authors are the people who live their story and share it with pain, hurt, love, joy, and most of all, sincerity. My first writing experience was in the 5th grade. I wrote a story about street lights. I poured out my thoughts and imagination into this story, and my words inspired me. I turned in my story and was confronted by my teacher, who immediately accused me of not writing it myself. She said it was "too good." She said my mother must have written it. Devastated and hurt, I acquiesced and put that chapter of my life on hold. My teacher's reaction closed the door to my ability to express myself on paper for years.
I did not begin writing again until I was forty-six years old. I thank God that His purpose and plan for my life did not have an expiration date. God placed me in an environment with loving and gracious women who nurtured and believed in me. Their grace, love, and support encouraged me to embrace and trust my inner voice. My relationships opened the floodgates of my ability to express myself through words on paper. Becoming a writer is not something that you are qualified to do; it's who you are.
Read Chapter 16: John 16:1-4King James Version John 16:1-4King James Version (KJV)
16 These things have I spoken unto you, that ye should not be offended.
2 They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service.
3 And these things will they do unto you because they have not known the Father, nor me.
