DAY 49Word Count: 31,495
Sentence of the Day: Snuff colored laundry hung overhead, laced from window to window.
I had a speaking gig this weekend, and believe me, there's a reason why I write instead of speak. I'm not cut-out for the spotlight. Good thing I was wearing Depends. Even so, God was/is faithful, and here's one little example.
When I prepared what I was going to say, I thought why not do what I do best and write a story? I took the account of Jesus in the Garden (Matthew 26) and fictionalized it. As part of one of my sessions, I read it aloud.
It's interesting that of all the things I said, I got the most comments on the story. One lady came to me later and told me that she'd come to the conference empty, asking God for some kind of encouragement. She got it--in story form.
Which is amazing, but not surprising. Jesus used story often as a way to teach truth. Hearing heaven doesn't always come through sermons on Sunday morning. Sometimes it comes packaged in a tale.
One of the best pieces of fiction that I heard heaven through is Streiker's Bride by Robin Hardy. It's a beautiful picture of how Jesus pursues us set in modern day Dallas.
What about you? What's a piece of fiction that made you hear heaven?
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4 comments:
I'm thrilled to hear how well the weekend went! That one woman alone makes it all worthwhile!
For me, the book John, Son of Thunder, by Ellen Gunderson Traylor was a work that brought Jesus out of Heaven and onto the road beside me.
Thanks for the recommendation. I'll have to check it out.
And you're right...that little nugget coming from one woman made all the blood, sweat and tears worth it (not to mention the stomach flu I suffered from later).
I'm glad to hear that your speaking gig was a success! You're right -- some of the most powerful truths come to us through story. I think that's why I like writing. I like to take the lessons God has taught me and put it in story form, hoping that my readers will find that nugget of truth too. :-)
I'm trying to think of a book that opened my eyes to heaven, but nothing is coming to mind, except for Peretti's "This Present Darkness" and "Piercing the Darkness". I'll have to check out "Strieker's Bride", and "John, Son of Thunder". I've heard C.S. Lewis' "The Screwtape Letters" and Rivers' "Reedeeming Love" are awesome. They're already on my TBR. :-)
Oh yeah...I totally second The Screwtape Letters and Redeeming Love. Both are fantastic. And let me throw in another Francine Rivers for you. My favorite is The Last Sin Eater.
Thanks for stopping by, Gwen!
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