CHALLENGE WINNER: Write to Remember

In May, COMPEL Training challenged our members to submit a compelling blog post that encourages and equips other writers with wisdom they have learned in their own writing journey. Today’s blog post is one of five winners of that challenge and was written by COMPEL Member Emily Jones Petty.  Continue reading to be inspired by her words and her unique writing journey. 

The very thing God used to prompt me to begin writing is what Satan uses to hold me back. After years of suffering, Jesus freed my soul from the depths of shame and depression. Knowing I wasn’t the only one hindered by a past of fear and condemnation, I began sharing my story out of a desire to help others know God can set them free as well. 

I wrote a book and started a blog, eagerly anticipating the miracles God would perform in and through me. I envisioned lives being changed simply because I embraced what God was calling me to do. 

Months passed but nothing happened as expected. Few blog followers. No book contracts. I began questioning God’s plan, believing myself a failure, sliding down the slippery slope of shame He graciously freed me from. But His purpose was not for me to relive my past, but to remember Him rescuing me from it. 

God wants me to share my experience as a reminder of what He’s doing in my life. Writing keeps the memories fresh. It keeps my need for Him at the forefront of my mind. It keeps me accountable to the transformation, encouraging me to keep climbing out of the pit. 

Now, I write to remember the goodness of God. The journey itself has more meaning than the destination. When I focused on what would happen, I lost sight of why I was writing. Receiving recognition becomes less important than sharing what Jesus is doing in my life. My story matters; yours does too. Be encouraged to keep going even when it seems you’re going nowhere. Write to remember and remember to write what Satan wants you to forget.