Eyes On Me, In Writing & In Life!

by Audrey Frank @AudreyCFrank

For you shall go out with joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and the hills before you shall break forth into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands (Isaiah 55:12).

Quivering like jello on a cafeteria plate, the boy with the shocking red hair shot me a look of terror.

I can’t!

He dropped his head and stared at the rocky ground at least forty feet below. 

Yes, you can! I’m with you! We’ll jump together!

I was serving as camp Bible teacher for the summer and had wandered down to the ropes course to see what Cabin 5 was up to. I knew this young man. After the first night’s message, he came to the front and asked Jesus to be his Savior. I had prayed with him as he stepped from old to new. I snuck a peek at his face, glowing and sincere as he lifted it to heaven. 

At the moment, however, he wasn’t exactly glowing. He looked more like he was short-circuiting and about to combust with fear. His face scrunched up with question marks as he looked to me for help. The prayer he had prayed a few nights before was taking on flesh and blood. We stood side by side in our harnesses, toes touching the yellow boundary together. The zipline stretched out before us impatiently.

Eyes on me! The decision you made to follow Jesus was braver than jumping off this platform. And you did it. You can do this too. You are brave. Eyes on me and we’ll jump on three!

The nod was almost imperceptible as his eyes locked on mine.

One, two, three!

Zzzzzzzzzzippp!

I diiiiid iiiiiiiittttttt! 

His shout of joy caused the trees to clap their hands. Or at least that’s what I noticed as we slowed to the end and padded our way to a stop on the other side.

Trusting God is so much easier when we lock eyes on Him.

Eyes on Me!

We commit our hearts to write. We make the brave step from the old life as One who Dreams of Writing to One Who Does. We ask the Lord to lead us. Then comes the day we stand on the platform, harness latched, ready to press the send button to that editor, that reader, that publisher.

Paralyzed with fear, we cry.

I can’t!

Courage becomes cowardice; certainty becomes doubt.

Yes, you can! Eyes on Me! We will jump together.

And we leap, the sound of our trust making the trees clap their hands.

Lord, I will fix my eyes on You. Thank You for never asking me to jump alone. Amen.

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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 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.

Audrey is the author of Covered Glory: The Face of Honor and Shame in the Muslim World (Harvest House Publishers), 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, Covered Glory illuminates the power of the Gospel to remove shame, giving honor instead. Available at favorite booksellers: BARNES & NOBLE , BOOKS A MILLION, AMAZON.