The Light In Our Eyes — it is finished!
• Well, at least the overhaul of rewrites and editing is finished. • What a thing to feel accomplished over. I’ve spent three years with this manuscript - longer with the flakes of this story in my head. And I don’t even know if you’re going to like it. I don’t know how many people outside of my family will read it. How many hours of wrestling out words and overthinking concepts and begging for inspiration have I spent on a handful of collected sentences and ideas? • But I didn’t write this for success. I am remembering that constantly. When the pressure of “what happens next” builds up in my chest, I have to remember what I promised at the beginning of this project. I wrote: “I surrender this story and myself to You.” I know that I can’t control the reception of this story. I know that in the end, I may not get a publisher to accept this, or a reader to pick this up, or that these mere words would make any difference at all. It’s not up to me. Writing this story has taught me that much. But writing this story, I found that God was teaching me through all the life surrounding the making of this book, and also through the actuality of the story. I don’t know where most of this book came from. I won’t pretend that it’s some magnificent work or a life-changing story. But maybe this will show you what God is teaching me, what He has placed on my heart, and how He has decided to reach me - maybe He’ll reach someone else too. I would be so honored and humbled if that is the case. • For now, as this story is complete, as I dare to show some others a story that I pray makes them think - I don’t ask for more than that - I want to surrender this too. I surrender the response. I surrender any ounce of success or failure. If nothing else, may The Light In Our Eyes merely be an act of faith and obedience. I know the time spent in this story was not a waste, because it shaped me and challenged me and turned me toward the only One who is worth everything. • Praying that even this is an act of faith and obedience.
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"Stories help us remember what we never want to forget" - Neverland (The Realms Series, Book Two) AuthorEmory R. Frie is the award-winning author of Heart of a Lion and The Realms Series, and has works published by The Journal, Darling Magazine and Ramifications. She is the founder of Life Lights Copywriting for social businesses and nonprofits, has a bachelor's in creative writing at Berry College and currently lives in Boone, NC. |