Answering the Call

Writing has always been a passion and a priority for me. Between raising babies, working, being a wife, and living life, I’ve been writing a novel and children’s books in those small windows of time throughout the day. And yet, God continued to prod me about answering a call to focus on writing as a career.

The time has finally come for me to answer. And, as a result, while my books may largely read as secular material, pieces of faith are likely to peek through.

The blog on this author page will be a little different. Initially, when I started to feel compelled to blog in addition to writing books, I was comfortable writing about me things and mom things and progressive things, and that’s typically what I’ll do. Yet, you’ll also see some Jesus things on the blog. I don’t expect my readers to share my beliefs and opinions, but I do want them (you) to have the option of understanding them.

Of course, I sometimes wonder if I’m even qualified to write on this particular topic. I suspect that others have more important things to say. Some have more doctrinal knowledge; many are specifically educated and trained in theology. But, as I remind myself constantly, I’m equipped with the same Bible and history, and I’m involved in my own significant relationship with the Lord. 

The catalyst in my decision to include some “Jesus stuff” on the blog (apart from God’s gentle nudges) was the death of Rachel Held Evans. Evans, if you’re unfamiliar with her work, was a powerful and prominent voice in the progressive Christian movement. RHE was a pioneer, truly, in many ways. Her recent death was devastating for many reasons, but it sparked in me a fear that fewer people would hear the true message of Christ. And I just can’t let that go. My voice cannot replace hers. But if my voice can support her voice and the many voices that share the truth, it will be my great privilege. I will do that within the context of who I am and through the things that matter to me.

But let’s clarify one thing: The truth, as I see it, is that our world and our culture have changed the message of Jesus Christ. Quite simply, Jesus was progressive. His message was radical two thousand years ago, but it boggles my mind that it often seems so radical even today. So, instead of leaning into it, we too often run from it. We must stop running and start embracing the truth.

So many people cling to the idea that God is an “Old Testament God” forevermore — they cling to concepts of wrath, punishment, and rules, forgetting about God’s love, mercy, forgiveness. Forgetting about His sacrifice, His gift. Forgetting that the old law has been replaced by a new covenant altogether. Indeed, the New Testament tells us that no one truly saw God before Jesus came into the picture (John 1:18). Jesus Himself, during His time here, contradicted Old Testament teachings (Matthew 5). Ultimately, we have to wonder if our understanding of God as being wrathful was ever accurate.

Nevertheless, Jesus Christ did not come to us in human form to make sure we were following the rules. He was not crucified to secure the formation of a new religion. That’s not what Christianity is supposed to be. To be a Christian is to commit to a relationship with the Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. To be a Christian is to commit to relationships with other human beings. To be a Christian is to commit to the calling to tell others about the divine and incredible love that we are offered by God alone — to bring new believers to His kingdom. To be a Christian is to help others in need. To be a Christian is to try to live like Christ — humbly, kindly, compassionately, with love and generosity for the multitudes. And while I will fail many times, I will commit to my calling to serve. 

The choice to include God in my writings about myself and my life, when it was finally made, no longer felt like mine. Every voice in this movement matters. There can never be enough voices. Every single voice can reach a heart that another may never be able to touch. I will always seek out that heart.

This divine guidance has been a blessing. I had been praying for guidance for so long; I had prayed for God to show me the path. And whenever He did, I pushed back a bit, not fully convinced that’s what He was REALLY telling me. Thankfully, God is persistent. He didn’t give up. But it took me until this point to be certain. It’s not necessarily that God is particular about how I accomplish my purpose, but He’s been clear that I am going to share the message of His love. Sometimes, that will look like a blog post specifically about Jesus. Much of the time, the message will look like a secular one, yet it will still be packaged with the love I feel from God. But, for better or for worse, the bottom line is that I want to share pieces of my life and faith with others. And I’m going to share these things – messages about friendship, about momhood, about love, about life, and, yes, sometimes about God – in the way I know best. I’m going to write to you.