A Prayer that Sparked a Journey

Introduction: Today we’re introducing the third member of our new team of regular contributors to the Inspire blog, Darcy Schock, who is sharing a pivotal moment in her Christian writing journey.

The sun dipped below the horizon as my husband and I walked along the beach.

Normally I love sunsets, but that evening, the darkness settling across the sky reflected my heart. A war raged inside. It taunted me to shut the door on dreams bubbling to the surface but not yet brought forth. These dreams threatened to burst through the protective walls I built around my heart. They beckoned me to step deeper into the thing God created me to do. Memories from childhood I set aside came to me. Reminders that even as a girl with blonde hair in pigtails, I’ve always loved words and stories. I knew God was leading me to a path of writing, but it felt much safer to stay in the shallows.

I wanted to follow, but pain from the past told me it wouldn’t be wise. It felt much safer to lock the niggling dreams in a dark corner of my heart and try to forget them.

A man approached us, breaking the rhythmic lapping of the waves. He asked if we knew Jesus and believed in prayer. When we said yes, he seemed disappointed. A beach evangelical found another set of Christians. As we turned to part, he extended his hand to us. Almost as an afterthought, he asked, “can I still pray for you?”

Who would turn down prayer? As words fell from this man’s lips, a dam in my heart let loose. Brick walls built to keep out pain cracked, letting in light. The stranger, with a mission other than encouraging a floundering dreamer, took the time to pray. He prayed words I believe the Spirit specifically used for me at that moment. I knew I couldn’t shut the door on writing. This man’s prayer and my dreams intertwined in a perfect way. As tears rolled down my cheeks, I knew–as scary as it felt, and as unworthy as I looked–I must write.

That pivotal moment in 2018 began my writing journey. After leaving that trip, I wrote a devotional, multiple Bible studies, and later began a novel. The prayer four years ago gave me the courage to begin the dream God placed in my heart.

God led me into the writing life in such a kind way. He continues to lead me as I put words to paper. This writer’s life is unique. It’s filled with so much beauty and light, but around the corner, darkness and fear lurk. This journey is two-fold for me. In many ways, it heals broken parts.

In other ways, it pulls me and tries to tempt me to throw in the towel and give up. It nudges tender areas, triggering the self-protection mechanism that screams abort mission.

Like He did with the prayer that started this journey, when I feel I am at my tipping point, God anchors me steady. He always places something in my path that gives me the courage to keep going. He carries me when I’m too weak. When I lose my way, He trudges off the path and helps me find it again. When I say it’s too hard, He reminds me it isn’t about me… it’s about His work through me.

This writing life is a beautiful and terrifying life. We place our very heart on the page for all to see. That is scary business. It is easy to wiggle back and forth between wanting to retreat or trying to make sure the words mattered somewhere. If there is silence in our searching for significance, we wonder what the point is in baring our soul.

Paul’s words can bring comfort to the writer:

Do not lose heart… our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal. (2 Corinthians 4:16-18 NKJV)

Much of the writing journey is unseen. The gradual healing of our heart as we wrestle and type is not something we can see tangibly. We may never witness all the hearts our words touched. We can imagine, but not visibly see, the smile of delight on our Father’s face as He watches us do the thing we love. When we fix our eyes on those unseen things, we can see an outline of something magical.

Is God beckoning you onto the path of writing? Are you already on the journey, but wonder what the point is sometimes? I believe our words are light pushing back the darkness both in our hearts and in the hearts of others. Words hold power, they breathe hope into lives. Like that beach evangelical will never see how much his prayer meant to me, our words may grow in the unseen. They may pull back someone from locking away a precious God given gift. We may never know how our words can impact a heart.

Dear writer friend, don’t lose heart. Together, let’s fix our eyes on what we can’t see and trust that God is leading us into eternal things.