Spiritual Practices for Writers: The Practice of Proclaiming for Writers

by Audrey Frank @AudreyCFrank

For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake. For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 4:5-6, ESV).

Like the slow start of a rollercoaster groaning up the first rise, the mint man's voice began. Basal and resonant, it clicked, rolled, and climbed until it reached a crescendo and flew high and sweet through the air.

Eeeeeeeeeeee-yeppp! Naaaaaaaaaa-a'nahhhhh!

Squeals of laughter rang out as my two little boys clamored to put on their slippers and run into the street to catch the mint man. His humble cart was laden with fresh, fragrant bunches of emerald-green mint. We could not have tea without it.

The mint man was one of a long line of proclaimers. He nobly listed more than ten generations of proclaimers, ending with a twinkle as he proudly introduced his successor, a little boy who followed shyly behind. The mint man's houseful of daughters did not break the ancestral chain—instead, the oldest gave him a grandson to carry on the tradition.

We never lacked mint, thanks to our faithful proclaimer.

I sometimes wonder if we writers are not like the mint man, wandering the streets of the earth shouting the Master Refresher's invitation to all who are thirsty. Along we go, day after day, pulling our cart of words, proclaiming, Jesus, He is the Lord! Come one, come all, taste, and be refreshed!

Not everyone came running to the mint man's cart, but that didn't stop him. I could set my watch by him every morning. Around that cart, I made new friends—fellow thirsters like myself—those who delighted in the fragrance of the proclaimer's offering as the cool morning breezes scurried through the winding ancient streets before the Sahara heat could catch them.

If he'd been selling mud, I doubt we would have come.

But he was proclaiming refreshment, fellowship, and life. And we wanted that every day.

The world is thirsty, and our cart of words can bring the refreshment it needs. If I proclaim myself, they'll grow thirsty again. But if I proclaim Jesus as Lord, they won't only be renewed; they just might become cart-pullers, too.

Now, wouldn't that be rejuvenating? A world of cart pullers, proclaiming Jesus Christ as Lord, the Refresher of our souls.

Lord, I will practice proclaiming You to the thirsty. Use my words to refresh the nations. Amen.

TWEETABLE

Spiritual Practices for Writers: The Practice of Proclaiming from @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 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.