On Being a Lighthouse for Christ

God has called me to be a light on a hill in a dark world. This calling is behind my fascination (some would say obsession) with lighthouses. As a teacher, I was often the only light in a middle schooler’s world. Relationship with those students was always about being light and, hopefully, showing Christ in that light.

Having retired from the classroom, I feel God has called me to accomplish my childhood dreams of being a writer. Embracing that call, however, feels like I’m setting myself up for failure. Am I good enough for traditional publishing? Am I wearing a mask of being a writer? Is writing historical Christian romance really a calling? The romance genre can feel inconsequential in a world filled with terror and with need for Christ. It’s an escape for women, at best, and called emotional porn at its worst. There are ungodly romances on the shelves at Wal-Mart!

God has called me to be a light in a dark world. His call leads me to be an author who portrays God’s Love to the world through historical Christian relationships. The world does not comprehend the Christian lifestyle or romantic relationship within a Christian worldview. Relationships in this post-modern world are typically unpure -  sexually, emotionally, and physically - because they are not centered around Christ.

Accepting the challenge to write and to succeed in writing requires dying to self so that Christ’s power can work through me to accomplish what HE wants. Ephesians 3:20 states “With God’s power working in us, God can do much more than we can ask or imagine.”(CEV)

God has called me to be light! He has called me to use my imagination and my abilities to bring forth a world where Christians relate to one another in a Christ-like way. To do this, I must set aside my twin fears of failure and rejection. To do this, I must believe that Christ will work to put OUR writings in front of those He wishes to reach with OUR imaginings.

In other words, be a lighthouse that God uses to steer others away from the rocks and into the narrow channel that leads to Him and, therefore, to life.

What has God called you to do?