The Writer's Path

by Audrey Frank @AudreyCFrank

The path of the righteous is like the bright morning light, growing brighter and brighter until full day. Proverbs 4:18, NET

I had arrived early to meet my running club at the halfway point on our course. Exhausted from months of caring for sick family members, running had taken a sideline in life and I knew I had to cut it short this morning. Sitting in my car in the darkness of pre-dawn, I waited for my friends to arrive.

Opening the devotional app Daily Light, my eyes fell upon Proverbs 4:18. It seemed to wink at me as if illuminated more brightly than the rest of the morning reading. How interesting, I thought, looking up at the path just in front of my car, cloaked in shadowy blackness. I am accustomed to running in the dark. Long before my family wakes up, I tiptoe out to meet friends for a cathartic run before the day begins. Due to my schedule today, however, I would have the rare privilege of watching the sun rise as I ran. 

What would you like to teach me, Lord? I prayed.

As I ran, the sun rose higher. Inky black yielded to indigo, and indigo gave way to purple skies. As if on cue, the birds burst all at once into a crescendo of praise to the One who made the sunrise. My running changed. My breathing became deeper, steadier. The percussion of my feet joined the voices of the birds as we praised our Maker together. I forgot the tediousness of the path that had only a short time ago been shrouded in shadows. I ran and I ran, and I lifted my head to the heavens and saw the beauty of the day rising in all its glory. 

Maybe running in the dark is not so great after all.

It is time to run into the light, I heard the Lord whisper.

My early writing journey has not been unlike running in the dark. It has taken determination and commitment. Self-sacrifice and discomfort. One step at a time, often on a path mottled in shadow. Trusting the benefits of hard work and discipline would indeed pay off.

But the path of the righteous writer, that focused follower of Christ, is like the bright morning light, growing brighter and brighter until full day. 

We were not meant to always run in the dark. If we are upon the path God has designed, we can be sure the sun is racing toward our darkness, bringing with it a cacophony of color and sound that will melt away the shadows and make our path bright and clear. One step at a time, minds and hearts fixed upon Jesus, we will see the skies of discouragement and rejection clear with streaks of pink and violet, the promised light flooding our landscape with hope.

I am looking to the light today, running toward the One who makes the sun rise on my path and yours. Nothing can stop the rising of the sun.

Lord, help me put one foot in front of the other today and run this path with perseverance. I will praise you as I wait for the sun to rise brighten my way. Give me the stamina and strength to push past the pre-dawn darkness into the light of day. Amen.

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The writer's path - thoughts from @AudreyCFrank on @EdieMelson (Click to Tweet)

Writing can sometimes feel like running in the dark - @AudreyCFrank on @EdieMelson (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