“Faithless is he that says farewell when the road darkens.”JRR Tolkien
Many things have invaded my life
recently like brick walls keeping the light out. I've said a lot of goodbyes, dealt with extremely crucial deadlines, been kept at work for long hours, and most recently I lost a loved one to cancer.
Finding time and passion to write has been hard and honestly one of the last things on my mind. My world has gotten dark, but I don't want to be faithless so how do I keep writing?
“Hardships often prepare ordinary people for an extraordinary destiny.”C.S. Lewis
I may not like “hard”, but Tolkien and Lewis shout to me across the years, telling me to keep going.
Telling me to persevere.
To be tenacious.
I must hold on to even the smallest bit of hope and passion I have. I must write even when I don't feel like it. I must remember the difference between an aspiring author and a serious one
is discipline. I must walk into difficulty, accepting the hard
things that stand in the way and keep my eye on the prize.
Last weekend a friend and I went to our local coffee shop and settled in
to write. I did everything I could to put off actually writing. I showed up late, scrolled through facebook, even took my time ordering coffee. I
didn't have the inspiration or passion. It's been months since
I've opened the document to even try. After a
little pep talk from my friend, who told me to “just do it” I
finally focused on the document in front of me and began to write.
Haltingly at first, but then with more excitement. Within an hour I
had 1300 words written and more coming. When I left all I could think
about was getting home so I could keep writing.
Difficulties are hard, but tenacity brings hope. Even a spark beats back the darkness.
Already, just days after my success I can feel the weight of difficulty trying to quench the little hope I had this weekend. BUT I can't focus on what's hard, I must focus on the prize. I must remember how words and story gets under my skin and sets me on
fire.
I must remember I love it.
I must remember how creating a new world with my God-given
imagination seems like the most amazing thing ever. I will push through those walls. I can
almost see my characters igniting like little lights in my mind.
I'll focus on God, the ultimate Creator and most tenacious inventor ever. What must it have been like for him when he created the world? Swirling dust together to form complex creatures that reflect His image...
I'll focus on God, the ultimate Creator and most tenacious inventor ever. What must it have been like for him when he created the world? Swirling dust together to form complex creatures that reflect His image...
Seeing that crisp, blank document
may send thrills through my system and ignite my adrenaline, but now the idea of typing "The End" fills me with tenacity. And hope.
What about you? What is difficulty holding you back from?
Here's my challenge. Write. Be tenacious. Even when
you don't feel like it. Even when life seems hard. Watch how God uses
those times to surprise you. Let passion in, hold tight to
tenacity and discipline.
They'll be your best friends.
Charis Joy Jackson is working as a missionary with Youth With a Mission (YWAM) a non-profit organization & is part of The Initiative Production Company. She loves creating stories & is currently writing a novel, which she hopes to create into a seven part series.
Here's to a life lived in awe & wonder.
Welcome to the adventure.
