March 24, 2008

There and Back Again

When you stand on the frontier of yet another writing endeavor, you should pause to consider the past. Though you see nothing ahead of you, you can indeed see for miles when you look over your shoulder. Before you lies a wilderness of blank pages; behind you lies a wonderland of freshly written words and writings. At your feet lies paths untrodden; behind you lies the well-trodden paths across familiar lands. Before you lies discoveries unknown; behind you lies a wealth of treasures already dug up. Before you lies new lands and oceans to cross; behind you, with you, all around you, is the God that has led you thus far, and He will lead you further up and further in.
Never once think that you can ever plumb the full depths that is the well of God (Romans 11:33). You can never search across all His lands and find nothing new under the sun. Every new poem, story, journal, or post started, every new journey begun, stand as defiant testimonies before all the world that the God you serve and know has no end in sight, that He is indeed the perpetual mystery, the eternal adventure, the everlasting undiscovered country. As you step out once again, let Him keep your feet, and you will be swept off into Him.

Writer's Prayer

"Now I set my pen to write,
I pray the Lord, my light, my life:
Even if I die before I wake,
This journey shall have no end..."

-Jon Vowell (c) 2008

2 comments:

concernedSBCer said...

How true. Write on.

Queen Mother

firebirdsinger said...

Hamlet got you thinking, eh? I agree....writing is an adventure. Many people read books to see places they've never seen or experience worlds that do not even exist. Isn't it wonderful that these worlds can lead to Him? You're like Gandalf, Jon, leading the way. Your staff is your pen, and your power lies in the purpose of the words that God gives you.

And where this journey leads you to
whether to Darkness or to Light
Have faith in He who sends you through
the chartless reaches of the night.