I'm thrilled to be selected as one of the competition winners and be published in the upcoming November issue of Writer's Digest. It is an honor, as Writer's Digest is a highly esteemed publication in the writers' world.
Feel free to read my entry below. Thank you for following me on my writing journey!
Conversations on Fire
Some of my favorite memories as a college student are my conversations with my friend Alex about things that mattered. We remained open-minded as we honestly exchanged our thoughts and ideas, making sense of the world together. It’s hard to explain how thrilling it was to talk to her. Sometimes, we would stay up until almost sunrise, lost in conversation.
Rich conversation is one of life’s finest pleasures. We all need to be heard and valued. To share the private things that weigh heavy on our minds and are too burdensome to carry alone. Heartfelt conversation brings us together, helps us know we matter and are cared for, and makes life more meaningful and exciting.
I love the recorded conversation between my favorite author, C. S. Lewis, and J. R. R. Tolkien, which started on the Addison Walk in Oxford, England, in the mid-1920s. It was a lingering conversation that ultimately resulted in C. S. Lewis’s faith in God and departure from atheism. Lewis emerged as a renowned Christian writer who used logic and philosophy to share his faith with the world. That is the power of conversation. Conversations can challenge us, bring forth truths, fresh ideas, and ultimately even change our core beliefs.
Conversation Leads to Progress
True learning and tolerance occur in conversation when we care enough to understand opinions different from our own and grapple with the truth together instead of resenting those who think differently. Conversation is the bridge to each other. When we refuse to enter into conversation, relationships are severed, and hostility grows. This is evidenced by the dividing line of politics where people are willing to sacrifice their friends and family over the opinions of their parties and those policies. When we only listen to those who agree with us, we can discriminate without having to be challenged by others who have valid reasons to think differently. Conversation leads to collaboration, where problems are solved, and ideas are developed. It fuels those passions in our hearts and spurs us into action. It is the synergy of progress.
Vulnerability, Not Perfection, Leads to Acceptance
Alex and I were honest and vulnerable with each other, even in areas where we were divided. This resulted in a magnificent acceptance and one of the deepest connections I have ever had. There is power when someone we respect accepts us, flaws and all. It gives us the courage to be who we are in this world.
It is impossible to have a close relationship if we hide behind masks of perfection. To have a friendship based on false impressions, hiding those areas we deem unworthy, is not to be loved for who we are and thus not to be loved at all. It perpetuates the facade of perfection and hinders genuine connection and even self-acceptance. To be accepted, we must be honest with ourselves and each other.
The power of acceptance is magnified in our relationship with God. He accepts us as we are but transforms us into better versions of ourselves.
Moving into a deep friendship with God through heartfelt conversations, beyond recited prayers, and experiencing His acceptance has changed me in unimaginable ways. Prayer is the true definition of “conversations on fire.”
Relationship is paramount to God, and we can’t have it without honest communication. Prayer is simple—communicating honestly with the Father and seeking to understand Him. God wants it all—our hard questions, heart desires, and even our doubts. We learn the truth by investigating it, asking questions, and diligently pursuing it. Vulnerability and authenticity are inherent in close relationships. God is in the deepest parts of our soul, and it is there that we often get to know Him most, far from the facades we put up.
“God Help Me” is a Valid Place to start.
We all need help. This is especially true when we are in pain. Many people come to know God when they are in crisis and have run out of their own resources.
“I have been driven many times to my knees by the overwhelming conviction that I had nowhere else to go. My own wisdom, and that of all about me, seemed insufficient for the day.” —Abraham Lincoln
I’ll never forget the profound words shared by a friend who was going through a divorce and not only lost a partner but all her friends as well. She realized God was all she ever needed when she had nothing left.
In a crisis, we go places with Him we can only go alone. In the solitude and silence of His company, our eyes are open to Him in remarkable ways, and a new level of faith emerges because He is faithful. His life-giving hope is found, a hope that is so much bigger than our natural thinking and present circumstances. Grace is above the natural world, so hope is available and at work, even in dire situations.
A respected theologian and instructor at Biola University shared that his growth as a Christian came not from education but from having his heart cracked open and sharing all of it, even the ugly stuff, with God. Psalm 139 describes when David took it all to the Lord and shared his unfiltered feelings and emotions. Unless we do that, how can we expect to be healed? We need to go to those places with the only One who can heal our deepest wounds.
Prayer Frees us to Live Unburdened in Hectic Times
When we face trials or are afraid, God will quiet our hearts and give us confidence. There is no such thing as being too much for God. He welcomes our neediness and our fears. Prayer takes it out of our minds and into the capable hands of grace. We are free from useless worry and get to participate in effective prayer. Prayer is more effective than fixing as it unleashes God's limitless power.
When I am struggling, I often journal my concerns to God. Getting my feelings on paper helps me identify the crux of the issue so I can process the specifics with God. Prayer frees me from the weight of the problem and enables me to hear His voice. This is where the magic happens in the brilliance of His wisdom and direction.
I have become even more dependent on prayer as a parent and can’t imagine living without the peace it brings—knowing my children are in the best hands, not my hands, but His. My heart has been broken many times by their struggles, their rejections and loneliness, their sorrows and weaknesses. When they did not make a certain team in high school, they had their hearts set on. When a friend betrayed them, when they broke bones and were in an entire leg cast, when they came home crying for a month straight because middle school was that hard, or when they didn’t get into the college of their dreams, my heart could not bear this if I did not know there was a God who cared and had the best plan for their lives. That when He shuts one door, it is to usher in a more abundant life. A life that is made somehow better through difficulty. My belief in God has increased, as has my trust, as I have seen many miracles in my life. No matter how tough life gets, I know God has a purpose. I can entrust my children to Him and let go of trying to control things, as if I had that kind of control, anyway. Even when a situation seems out of control, we can trust God to do mighty things. Prayer brings a covering that worry and even action can never provide.
Prayer Rewires My Thinking
Prayer changes things—sometimes us, our circumstances, and sometimes both. It opens our minds and elevates our thinking. Prayer, just like conversation, is a two-way street. Prayer encourages us to look at life from a broader eternal perspective instead of our own subjective and often fixed thinking.
Recently, we sold our house to friends with a large family so we could move to our dream house at the beach. Our friends have made beautiful changes to the house. We raised our children in that home, and it was hard for me to hear about all the improvements. However, as I prayed, God showed me how much he loves us both and has provided for our unique desires and family needs. He gave me the house that best suited our family and did the same for her.
Prayer is my reset button, redirecting my thoughts toward gratitude instead of comparison.
Prayer keeps me going, enabling me to persevere when I feel like giving up. Prayer redirects our thoughts toward solutions and renews our passion for what we are currently doing.
When I became obsessed with my frenemy (a person who is supposedly your friend but acts like an enemy) who was spreading false rumors at work and trying to stop me from getting promoted, prayer redirected my mind. It kept me focused on just doing the “next right thing.” Instead of going down the rabbit hole of negative thinking, it kept me focused on doing my best job at work and trusting God with those things I cannot control.
Prayer is hearing in the Quiet
God is always at work, but we can miss it when we don’t listen. Sitting in quiet is where I hear the most important things. God brings scripture to mind, ideas to explore, and direction to follow when I listen. Knowing the Bible is critical for hearing His voice, as so often He provides direction there and brings it back to mind at just the right time. Listening allows us to see the truth of the situation and the bigger picture, providing direction in chaotic and uncertain times and breathing hope into otherwise hopeless situations.
Prayer allows us to commune with the most excellent therapist the world has ever known. One that opens our eyes to the truth, raises our perspective off ourselves, and provides the power we need to grow, heal, and keep on.
“Prayer brings me back to my heart, from the treacherous swamp of my mind.”
—Anne Lamott
Prayer Releases Entanglements and Brings Us Together
Too many times to count, my prayers have been interrupted by the grudges I am holding. Without fail, whenever I am carrying resentment, I am convicted of it in prayer and compelled to make it right. Prayer highlights my part—my bad behavior or where my thinking went wrong. Love is our greatest calling, so when I fail to prioritize it, my relationship with God suffers, hindering my prayers. Faith requires us to let go of bitterness, as Christianity is the language of forgiveness. God requires us to love and is the master of reconciliation.
Through prayer, I have identified the traps of being easily offended and tend to brush off the small stuff because I want nothing to interfere with my relationship with God. God seems to say, “Come back and talk to me once you wipe those chips off your shoulders.” It is not about fairness with God but love and relationship.
Prayer opens our eyes to a greater purpose that leads us to one another. God is always at work in the world, and through listening to His voice, we can come alongside what He is already doing instead of bulldozing ahead with our agenda. Prayer quiets us down to follow His lead.
Every morning, as I spend time listening, He fills my mind with ideas and actions, setting my intentions for that day, and providing content for my writing or the project I am working on. He stirs and directs my passions into action. I receive what I call “my marching orders.” God brings to mind people to pray for and reach out to. He puts scripture in my heart to encourage others. Having received this kind of encouragement from others, I know how important it is to obey those promptings, as it is one of the greatest sources of hope we can provide. Sometimes, just sharing what God has done in your life brings the hope people can best relate to.
Not only do we need grace in crisis, but in everyday living. That is why Jesus modeled an everyday dependence on God. As is written in Matthew 6:11, “Give us this day our daily bread.” Prayer is not a “one and done;” but a daily, even hourly practice that keeps us connected to the source of all power.
Prayer is an honest dialogue with God; it’s conversations on fire with His power. Conversations that disrupt my natural thinking and open my mind to new ideas and possibilities. God conversations loosen my hands of control and free me from a limited perception of how things should go, saving me from my miscalculations. The journey can be challenging as I trade control for trust, but the results have led me to the most important and fulfilling relationship I have ever had.
Realizing our Father knows best, we operate in His economy of abundant love instead of scarcity. God takes me beyond the boundaries of what is humanly possible and into the realm of His limitlessness. Through quiet, sitting still in silence with a waiting heart, I am learning the power of prayer, the thrill of it, as through it, I step into a much bigger story than my own.
Comments