“I want to start writing”, she offered with a mix of insecurity, fear and courageous resolve.
Wow. Very cool.
“Any idea what kind of writing?”, we inquired.
“Not really, creative writing – poetry I think.”, she tentatively replied.
And that was the beginning of it…
Over 8 years ago good friends of ours sat with us on our deck in the shade of a glorious maple tree in the sunbathed warmth of a beautiful Okanagan summer’s eve. In the safety and comfort of that moment our friend opened up her heart. She offered a desire that was brewing deep in her soul.
Even though she was a trained professional in a totally different discipline, who had dedicated years of her life to raising her children, she now felt a unique passion percolating. You could tell by the way she offered this seedling of hope that the desire was indeed very fragile. Still, in the midst of her vulnerability there was a conviction. She had uncovered this embryonic desire and would do her best to nurture and nourish it.
We have journeyed with our friend in the years since that magical and mystical moment. We have watched her struggle, and watched her persevere. We have seen the joys, and we have seen the heartaches. We have marveled at her courage and her commitment. When we invited her and her husband for dinner she would often ask if she could share a poem.
Yes, of course!
We were there when she began to exercise her creative muscle. We saw her strength and confidence grow over the years. She took courses. She went to conferences. She did writing retreats. She definitely exercised her creative capacity. We celebrated as her strength, confidence, boldness, courage and capability grew and grew and grew.
All the while she battled insecurities, fears, lies and self-limiting beliefs.
“Who am I to think I can do this? Who am it to think I have something wonderful to offer?”
As Marianne Williamson in Return to Love so eloquently stated…
“We ask ourselves, ‘Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?’ Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It’s not just in some of us; it’s in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”
Our friend dared to believe that she had a glory yet to be revealed. She dared to believe that the Creator of the Universe had more of His glory He wanted to reveal through her. She dared to believe that as she persevered, as she wrestled, as she pursued, as she trained, as she practiced, as she succeeded and as she failed, that the Lord would be faithful to reveal more of the glory he had for her to give away for the benefit of others.
She dared to believe that her playing small did not serve the world.
We have enjoyed private recitations around the dining room table. We have attended performances at a wide variety of venues. We have heard stories of how she is using poetry to minister to people living on the streets. We have read reports of her Pop-Up Poetry initiatives. And now, the piece-de-resistance, we recently attended her first opera! She is officially now a “Librettist”.
The night of the opera I was in tears recalling the journey we have had the privilege of sharing with her.
Our friend is a wonderful example of the journey our Father invites us on to discover the greater glory He wants to reveal through us for the benefit of others. It starts with a subtle desire. And then we have a choice: will we nurture and nourish that desire, or will we let fear and insecurity extinguish the ember?
Walk your road to glory. Your playing small does not serve the world.
John 15:8
“This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.”
John 17:22
“I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one—“
Matthew 5:16
“In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”