This is my 100th post! (This giveaway is now closed.)
A number of you have let me know that you appreciate the transparency in my writing. Transparency can be intimating. I frequently pause before hitting the publish button and wonder “Is this too real ?”
But I also recognize that as we live out our story in relationship with Christ, we are actually living His story. That means our story is not to be kept for ourselves. It is God’s story, for Him to use as He will.
An incident about my story and God, from a few years ago….
I was in the habit of taking my journal with me everywhere. God was beginning to touch significant wounds from my past and spur of the moment writing was both therapeutic and necessary. I was frequently recording painful and raw memories as they surfaced. There were pages filled with grieving, anger and rage towards those who had hurt me, towards myself and even towards God. There were prayers of heart-wrenching trust in the middle of brokenness. There were even (gasp) swear words! My journal was definitely private material.
Want to guess what happened?
One particular weekend, after getting home from my church’s Saturday evening worship service, I realized I couldn’t find my glasses.
Or my bible.
Or my (gulp) journal!
Yes, I’d left all three on a pew at church. And I was not going to be back on Sunday morning.
But about 800 other people would be!
I could imagine one of those individuals picking up my journal. Causally opening it and accidentally reading one of the more “intriguing” entries. I could see that person rushing to the pastor, open journal in hand. My imagination then pictured the pastor holding up my journal before the entire congregation and announcing, “If you left this, ah, ‘book’ here, I really need to talk with you! Call my secretary to make an appointment.”
Common sense versus obedience?
Good friends of mine live only a mile from the church. Common sense would have dictated that I call them and ask (begged, pleaded) “Can you please sneak over to church, go to the right side of the sanctuary, about three rows back, and pick up the fake leather journal laying there….?”
Asking my friends to rescue my journal, and thus to rescue me, would have been the prudent thing to do. Except that God intervened with a very personal question.
“Do you trust Me with your story?”
When you are in a relationship with someone, you read between the lines of what they say. And I got His message loud and clear. Yes, God was inviting me to trust my journal to His care until I could retrieve it the following week. He was also challenging me to trust Him with the results, when I would eventually begin to share my story with others.
Blog Anxiety
I get nervous about what people (meaning you!) will think when reading my posts.
- Will I be mocked when people read about my fears?
- Who will misunderstand my perspective on my relationship with Jesus? Or be offended that I want to wrestle in Heaven?
- Who might get upset because I write about abuse?
- Who will be judgmental because I admit to struggles with pornography?
And from time to time when that anxiety rises, I am reminded of what my Father God asked me on that now distant Saturday night.
“Do you trust Me with your story?”
Because I’m still answering Him the same way I did then, you are continuing to read my story. And there are many chapters yet to be told.
Celebrating 100 Posts Giveaway!
I’m giving away this “Markings” journal to one of you! By C.R.Gibson, this soft leatherette journal (6×9 inches) with 256 ruled pages is perfect for recording your thoughts and musings.
For your chance to win this journal, click here (or go to the “Leave a Reply” comment section below), and answer this question;
“My favorite ‘Slingshot’ post is________________ because_______________.”
This giveaway is open for one week only, and closes at 11:59 PM on Monday, August 24th, 2015. One winner will be randomly selected by computer. The winner will be notified by email and must respond within 48 hours or another winner will be chosen. Sorry, only those with a United States mailing address are eligible to win.
A final word of caution. If you win this journal, please do not leave it laying in a church pew!!!
(this post is linked up at WFMW.)
Experiencing victory over shame. My favorite line…”I was standing in the purpose for which I was created. Look where I am standing now.”
And I even said again today….Look where I am standing now.
My favorite post from The Slingshot Scribe is: “How to enjoy the view from within Because this expands my view from only “looking inward” to realizing the “bigger picture” of what God is doing in my life!”
The post that stands out in my mind was when you told about learning to shoot. I remember feeling much the same way as I read it. But to pick a favorite is very hard…
“My favorite ‘Slingshot’ post is this one because you echo my thoughts exactly about the fear of being open. I really think everyone feels this way too. I appreciate your openness.
Great post- keep being real and being you and telling the truth. Have left my journal in a less than ideal place as well – scary stuff. My first visit to your blog from WFMW – yes I get blog anxiety too but my hearts desire is to be real and honest because thats where the mercy flows. So heres to being really real and leaving the rest to God. Thanks so much for your words today!!
Congratulations on 100 posts! And bravo for being bravely obedient – and then encouraging me, your reader and oft-scared writer, to do the same.
And thank you for linking up to Works for Me Wednesday!
My favorite Slingshot post? I suppose “all of them” doesn’t count. I loved the Overwhelmed series. I’m pretty partial to the God Loves Gummy Worms post. But The Power of Yes (yes, your first post ever!) has a special place in my heart. 🙂 We’ve all been blessed because you said YES to sharing your story.
My favorite ‘Slingshot’ post is “Why I Write (Maybe You Should Too)” because the woman you talk about has a similar story to mine. We are not alone.
“Not Alone.”
Isn’t that the power of our stories? When we relate our honest experiences with struggles, defeats and victories, we are speaking hope to those with similar challenges and battles.
Amen!