Image by Advtrphoto.com
Genesis 1 Psalm 46:10 Luke 1:38
St. John Paul II said in his Letter to Artists:
“None can sense more deeply than you artists, ingenious creators of beauty that you are, something of the pathos with which God at the dawn of creation looked upon the work of his hands. A glimmer of that feeling has shone so often in your eyes when—like the artists of every age—captivated by the hidden power of sounds and words, colours and shapes, you have admired the work of your inspiration, sensing in it some echo of the mystery of creation with which God, the sole creator of all things, has wished in some way to associate you.”
Whenever I write, especially when I create a story, I always feel like I’m reliving the story of Creation. Not only does a fiction writer have to create a world that readers could imagine themselves relating with or escaping to, but he or she must also create compelling characters and take those characters on a journey full of trials and tribulations and which ends in either triumph or tragedy.
In many ways, the story of God working His way into my life is a lot like a labyrinth. A labyrinth is a circular kind of maze that only has one path leading to the center. I used to walk along a labyrinth that was laid out next to the chapel at the University of St. Thomas. My life took a lot of twists and turns and I wasn’t sure what God’s plan was for me.
Going to college was my dream ever since I was in seventh grade. I thought I would have my life figured out after college, but instead, I fell into a period of great anxiety. During this dark period, the verse from Psalm 46:10, helped me feel at peace. It always reminds me of Adoration, since I always felt a sense of relief and comfort whenever I went there in the past. My anxiety, through the grace of God, has eased up. I’ve come a long way from how I was years ago.
In 2014, I prepared myself for Marian Consecration as a Lenten Resolution and chose March 25th, the feast of the Annunciation, as my Consecration date. Through my consecration, I learned that Jesus desires nothing less than my own heart, aligned with His Sacred Heart. Ever since I read Teresa of Avila describing the soul as a single diamond with many mansions, I'm convinced that her words reflect how I see myself. My heart is like a deep cut gem. It may be small, but it shines brilliantly. I want to reflect God’s light into the world through the stories that I create and the words I say in all of my blog posts and Bible reflections. “I am the handmaid of the Lord. Let it be done unto me according to thy word.”
What do I feel that God is calling me to do? He simply wants me to keep writing for His sake. Whatever genre I write, whether it be romantic comedy or urban fantasy, it can all be used to glorify Him. And as I write, He continues to write His stories through me: the story of Jesus’s life, death, and resurrection as well as the story of how he is cutting and refining my heart so that it shines to reflect His brilliance.
