What I Learned at the Story Embers 2024 Summit

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I attended my first Story Embers 2024 Summit this year. Story Embers is an organization to “help Christian writers enthrall readers with honest storytelling that depicts both beauty & brokenness.” (storyembers.org) Each year, they host a virtual summit with several keynote speakers and workshops over three days. I was fortunate to attend all but one live session over three days in late May. Fantastic presenters offered a great deal of valuable and encouraging information, and I learned too many things to cover in one blog post, but one main thought impacted me, which I will share with you.

The idea I learned was this: God is the source of my inspiration and skill for writing, and all my writing is for His glory—that being the case, the burden of finding an audience and distributing my writing to that audience is not up to me, but it’s up to Him. I learned this lesson not from any one speaker at the conference; rather, it was a strong theme that was promulgated by almost all the presenters in one way or another. Until God gave me this message through this conference, I believed it was up to me and my savvy, skills, and marketing know-how to get my writing published and into the hands of readers where the message God gave me to write could bless others. How egocentric of me! I forgot that all things are in God’s hands and align with His will. If he gives me a message to write and wants it to reach others, he will make it happen. All I must do is be obedient and willing to be used by God when He calls on me.

That’s a massive burden off my shoulders. I felt like a failure because I hadn’t succeeded in finding a literary agent and becoming published traditionally. Somehow, I wasn’t good enough, smart enough, popular enough. I forgot that everything happens according to God’s will and timing. It will happen if it’s in His plan for me to become published. I must keep myself open to His prompting and the opportunities He places before me. If I am a faithful steward with the writing gift He gave me, He will bring forth the fruit, not me.

Writing according to God’s will and being willing to be used by Him is critical. According to writer and summit speaker Allen Arnold, our stories will reach the most people and give the greatest glory to God when we “align ourselves with God in our creativity.” This means being in touch with what is real—God’s reality—and rejecting the artificial. The artificial isn’t just the use of AI in writing. The artificial is anything that seeks to oppose God’s view of reality or tries to supersede God. Again, the focus is on God—He is the center of everything. If I rely on Him and His creativity, He will breathe life, purpose, and meaning into my writing.

Author Chris Fabry was the opening keynote speaker at the summit. He presented a talk on how to persevere when the results one encounters in one’s writing career aren’t what was hoped for. His message was simple: focus on the process rather than the outcome. He said, “Writing is the process of joining yourself in the journey.” In other words, enjoy the journey God takes you on as a writer, and don’t obsess about “success.” God’s concept of our success is usually significantly different from our concept. This is the mindset to be free from comparing oneself with others, being afraid of failure, and becoming fully engaged with the abundant life God has in store. Again, the message is that it’s all in God’s hands, and He is in control. I must leave success, whatever God deems that to be, up to Him.

Closing keynote speaker, author Colleen Coble, completed this idea of God’s sovereignty in all things, including my writing career, when she reminded us to ask ourselves as attendees, “Why am I writing?” Am I writing to glorify myself and seek earthly success (the artificial), or am I writing because of God’s gift to worship Him and seek His idea of success (the real)? It tied together God's message for me: To trust Him with my writing and career and be faithful and obedient. He will take care of the rest.

It's incredibly liberating to be reminded that God is in control, that He will use my gifting for His glory, and He will bless and multiply the fruits of my labor when done for Him. It’s not up to me to meet some artificial worldly standard of success. That’s not what God requires of me. All God wants is my faith, love, and obedience as a good steward. He will then take my efforts and use them according to His will for His purposes and glory. I don’t have to earn God’s favor through my writing. I already have that through Christ Jesus. In Jesus, I am God’s beloved child. I write to glorify my beloved Abba Father.

I am so glad I attended the Story Embers 2024 Summit and want to attend again next year. If you are a writer who wants to glorify God with your craft, I highly recommend these summits. Check out Storyembers.org. It’s a great organization for helping you grow as a believer in Christ and a writer.

Thank you so much for reading this post and visiting my blog. Please sign up for my newsletter for a monthly update about the website and blog and exclusive access to the material on my Subscriber Content page at www.paulinejgrabia.com. I am honored that you have taken time out of your day to read what I have to offer, and I will endeavor to continue to post blogs that are worthy of your continued attention. May God bless you richly.

Pauline J. Grabia

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