"It's harder than you think. It's not enough to be good. You have to be great...You'd better love it. (Otherwise, quit now.)"--Jeff Goins, writer
This world moves a little too fast for me--blogging, writing, tweeting--it all seems to blur straight past me, and I'm a straggler, weary to keep up.
Every day there are more stories that are important to read, tweeted writing advice I should pay attention to. I open them so I don't forget and they never get read.
I wonder, amongst so much good advice, so much rich story-telling, so many beautiful voices on the web and in great books, what IS my voice? How do I find this elusive thing?
If I find it, does it have a place amongst such beauty, depth, richness, and efficiency moving forward, me left standing in the wake of all that momentum?
I read this on Amber Haine's site and it left me reeling a little. Thank God for writers like Amber, who really write what we're all thinking. Stories are great, and must be told, must be written, handed down. I believe in this.
But telling the truth? This is priceless,
and I'm a just-starting-out-writer who is so grateful for people like her, who make me pause, make me ponder and reflect, draw up out of me what's really clawing at the surface, fighting to get out. The problem is that I keep stuffing it back down.
But that voice that keeps asking me what is your voice, Nacole? Where is it?
That voice is very important, and it just may be that it's the very voice I'm looking for---the one I've been stuffing down, shoving a sock in, telling it to hush so I can do this grown-up business.
The whole time I've been on this quest to find my voice--even when I wasn't aware that's what I was doing--and all along, that holy grail, has been trying to claw it's way out of an early grave, buried alive.
I've been squelching it out of fear. How much of what God created me to be have I silenced and buried deep because I was afraid to be me, out loud, with no apologies?
I'm thinking about voice, as seasons change and things are hard for me, and I sometimes feel I've committed to too much, and I stand braced against the gale winds--
and I think, maybe voice is about just that--maybe it's letting go of the fear and inviting whatever will come, maybe it's not being willing to change who I am for anybody, not a jot or a tittle.
Maybe it's just being uniquely me. Here is where I choose to take the road less traveled by and I let go of my fear of being "me" all wrong.
There is no right or wrong way of being me, because God created me the only one.
What freedom.
Linking up with The Nester, and all the other 31-Dayers....This ought to be one wild, brave ride...
Do you struggle with fear of being uniquely you, friend? Does it hold you hostage? What's your story? How has God redeemed it? Have you found grace? Your comments so encourage me. I draw strength from your kind words and knowing you were here. My faith walk is seasoned with the right ingredients when you hang around...
Some other 31 Day collectives I'm loving: Shelly @ Redemptions Beauty, Amber Haines , and Lisa-Jo
This is one post in a series of 31 days of Fear. You can find the entire 31 Day collective here. I have chosen to do this one on FEAR, because it seems to be something I keep wrestling with over and over, something that keeps me in chains, pins me down, won't let me free. I hope you will come with me on this journey--to get a taste of glorious redemption as I soul-search and look for Jesus smack-dab in the middle of my fears. And Jesus sits with sinners. I won't have to look very far.
Couldn't we all use some freedom from those fear-chains that bind? I pray God gives me the strength and the courage to complete 31 days--y'all, it's going to be hard on this 'ol gal to write every.single.day. Pray for me?
Friends, meet my friend, Jennifer Lee. She is so lovely and down-to-earth, a farmer's wife in Iowa. I just love her, and you will too. If you would so kindly click here and go over to my friend, Jennifer's site for a GIVEAWAY!You can enter until the 14th! Her sweet daughter, Lydia, is having a jewelry party to raise money for a school playground for children in Haiti. We know these children and families have been affected by much suffering after the earthquake. This jewelry is hand-made by our sisters in Haiti--Jennifer has been there, met them, hung out with them in their homes--and this is Jennifer's project. By buying one of these beautiful necklaces, you will be helping a Haitian woman work to feed her family, AND you will be helping raise money for children to have a place to play! She is also giving away some jewelry, so hurry on over and share on facebook, twitter, etc for your spot in the giveaway! I'm definitely buying one--I hope you do, too!
