Sunday, March 4, 2018

The Write Fight


by Audrey Frank @AudreyCFrank


The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still. (Exodus 14:14, NIV)

It was four a.m. and I could not get comfortable on the narrow, vinyl hospital bench beside my son’s bed. The heart monitors had blared their warnings all night long, doctors rushing in and out, their voices muted as they discussed my son’s life. His life. My mother-heart matched his in its erratic pace, rising and falling with every beep, fear lurching one moment, hope surging the next. I was in the middle of a nightmare no mother ever chooses.

In the fog of my anxiety, I thought of my book. The one I had been faithfully chipping away on, word-count goal by word-count goal for months. Every one of the 35,000 words so far was an accomplishment, a victory cry. Life had not slowed down, moved over, or accommodated me since I signed the contract with the publisher. Instead life had seemed to attack, throwing obstacles at me like an enemy in a war zone. The chapter I was currently writing was ironically titled, “Instead of Broken, Healed”.

Well, we are surely broken right now, Lord. How will I ever have a minute to sit at my computer again and write?

The loud silence of the dark room, punctuated by my son’s heartbeat, was the only reply.

I eventually slipped into an exhausted sleep, my questions still hanging in the air, waiting.

As the sun tiptoed around the heavy blinds the next morning, I heard the words, “I am the Lord; I will fight for you.” Waking up with a jolt, I opened my eyes and looked around. My phone was blinking. Across the screen was a message: “ ‘The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.’ (Exodus 14:14, NIV) And He’s fighting for your son too!” My friend had sent it while I slept. The Lord had spoken it to me before I read it. Illogical peace flooded me, and it seemed a solid rock took form under my feet, steadying my world.

My son lay sleeping peacefully. His heart had stabilized just before dawn.

He was out of danger, and so was I. The Lord was fighting for him and for me.

Writing a book is no vacation from real life. The pressures and trials of living shape and mold our words, giving them form and force. The Spirit of God working in us through suffering breathes life into our writing, life that is meant to be shared. We can choose to lean into the challenge, and let it shape our message. We must not give up; we must not quit.

Are you in the write fight today? Remember that no matter what you are facing, the Lord fights for you. The book God has put in your heart is His own project, and He will complete it though you.

Lord, thank you for fighting for me. Keep my pen steady and my heart steadfast as I trust in you. Amen.

TWEETABLES
Are you in a write fight today? @AudreyCFrank has encouraging words to share on @EdieMelson (Click to Tweet)

Writing a book is no vacation, @AudreyCFrank reminds us that God will fight for us (Click to Tweet)


Audrey Frank is an author, speaker, and storyteller. The stories she shares are brave and true. They give voice to those whose words are silenced by shame, the hard things in life that don’t make sense, and the losses that leave us wondering if we will survive. Audrey and her family have spent over twenty years living and working among different cultures and world views, and she has found that God’s story of redemption spans every geography (geographical location)  and culture. He is the God of Instead, giving honor instead of shame, gladness instead of mourning, hope instead of despair. Although she has three different degrees in communication and intercultural studies, Audrey’s greatest credential is that she is known and loved by the One who made her.

Her upcoming book, From Shame to Honor, is an outpouring of Audrey’s heart to introduce others to the God of Instead. Shame is not unique to the developing world, the plight of the women behind veils, young girls trafficked across borders; shame is lurking in hearts everywhere. Through powerful stories from women around the world, From Shame to Honor illuminates the power of the Gospel to remove shame, giving honor instead. Look for it through Harvest House Publishers in the fall of 2018.

You can also find Audrey at www.audreyfrank.com, as well as on Twitter and Facebook

15 comments:

  1. Your words have found a place in my heart, Audrey. I've struggled with shame over past choices and the word "instead" resonates deeply. Thank you for your transparency. I look forward to your upcoming book. Blessings to you!

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    1. Cathy I am so glad these words helped. I have been stuck on the word "instead" for a long time now, and it seems to have deeper and deeper levels of glory as I think on what God really has done in my life and continues to do. I pray that your shame is replaced with the honor and value God intended for you from the beginning. Blessings to you today.

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  2. Thank you for such encouragement Ms. Audrey. Two heart procedures, cataract surgeries, and lots of other "fun" things. All so God could give me the time to write the book I am supposed to write. Learning to lean on Him more; God is the only thing that gets me through. Sounds silly perhaps, but writing gives me a break from everything else. When writing, I am more attune to His guidance. God's blessings ma'am; and prayers that your little guy is doing great.

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    1. Jim, you have certainly faced great challenges. How wonderful that you were in a posture to see the gift hiding in the struggles. I also feel that writing attunes me more to God's guidance. May you experience how much he loves you as you complete the book He has given you to write.

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    1. Thank you Ingmar for reading and encouraging. Our God is inspiring, and He loves us so much more than we realize, doesn't He?

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  4. I wasn't able to get to church this morning so your message is my message for today. Thank you for your transparency and obedience in answering God's call today. Blessings to you as you write for Him.

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    1. It makes me happy to hear that this message became your own today, Cathy. Blessings to you this week.

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  5. Thanks for sharing this inspiring post, Audrey. God is faithful.

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    1. Yes, He is, Joann. I know it in my head but suffering can sure make me forget in the moment. I am so thankful He does not penalize us for our weaknesses. Thank you for reading and encouraging.

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  6. I needed this message to encourage me to keep writing my novel. Thank you so much.

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    1. I'm so thankful Melissa that you have found the courage to press on. I pray for you that the Lord will show you just how He is fighting for you as you sit down day by day and plug away at your novel. Blessings today!

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  7. May the heart beats of your son and your writing stay strong. Thank you for today's encouraging message for writer's in the fight and who are ready to run away. You're a difference maker to us as well as a faithful mother at her son's side. Serve on.

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    1. What a lovely, encouraging word, Carolyn. Thank you. It is reassuring to know we are all in this together, all facing similar moments of dismay and fear. But our God is mighty to preserve His purposes and see them to fulfillment. Glad to be in the fight with you.

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  8. I didn't get to this post until today, 4/5/18. Tomorrow I begin treatment for Lymphoma. I woke at 4:20 a.m., uneasy. I journaled, read my Bible, and found this in my reading queue. Isn't God's timing amazing! It is just the word I needed this morning.

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