The Builder and the House

Hello dear reader, and welcome back to my blog! I’m sure most of you know by now that my mission as a young Christian author is to honor Christ through Story. But what about the times when you’re in a season of waiting? When you don’t have a story to share, and it’s all you can do just to think about writing?

I have to confess that this post is meant for me just as much as it is for you. I hope that by exploring my struggles and what I’m trying to learn from them, you’ll be impacted as well.

As mentioned above, my mission is to honor Christ through Story. I hope that my books will glorify God, and that readers will be able to see my heart for the craft through my work. But currently, I don’t have any published books. Besides the Illuminate the Dark anthology I was featured in, my target audience doesn’t have a way to see that in writing.

Many of you know that I am in the self-editing stage of my first novella, currently titled Project: Quest. I’ve been trying to push through editing so I can send it to a publisher I have in mind, but so far it has been to no avail. I have made almost zero progress since I started editing in April. There’s just so much left to do, and knowing that I’ve barely made a dent is somehow causing me to procrastinate even more. I dread sitting down and looking at the list of things to change. It’s become a burden more than a passion.

But a few weeks ago, I attended Midweek at our church like always, and the message that night changed something in me. We’re working through the book of Hebrews at our church, and that night we discussed the beginning of Chapter 3. It talks about how Jesus is much greater than even Moses, who was regarded as one of the most holy men in history. Jesus is greater than all those he created, just as the builder of a house is greater than the house he built. And because of this, we should seek to glorify the builder as much as we can, casting all honor towards him, for he deserves it. And we shouldn’t just honor Christ in what we do, but throughout the process of doing it.

We should honor Christ not just with the product, but with the process.

In all honesty, I have not been honoring Christ in the process of writing and editing Project: Quest. Which, now that I see it, doesn’t make much sense. How can I write a God-honoring story if I’m not honoring God in the writing of it?

I always say that while my stories don’t contain obvious Christian plot themes or allegories, they are written from a Christian worldview, therefore Christians will be able to see light through them. But I can’t write books that honor Christ if I’m not honoring him in my heart while writing them.

So now I hope to change that. I hope to turn my writing from a burden back into a passion by drawing closer to Christ, who called me to this task to begin with. I want to use my time editing to show others around me that I can do hard things if it means fulfilling what God wants me to do. I want to rely on Christ during all stages of the creation of this book, because I can’t do it without him.

All that is to say, I am growing. I am growing as a writer, as an author, and as a Christian. Through Project: Quest I am learning what it truly means to honor Christ through Story. And while it isn’t easy— in fact, this is probably my most difficult writing struggle I’ve faced— I know that with God’s help, I can persevere to create something I’m proud of, and more importantly, something that honors Christ.

I am God’s house, and he is the builder. He is greater than I, and I will showcase his glory through the way I write, not just with what I write.

I hope this is an encouragement to any young writers struggling to put words on the page or, like me, struggling to change those words for the better. I want you to really evaluate your approach to writing. Are you doing it with a servant’s heart? Are you seeking to honor Christ not only with the product, but also through the process? If you are feeling disconnected from writing like me, I encourage you to let God be your anchor. Let him draw you closer to him, and there you will find the spark to continue fulfilling his purpose for your life.

Remember to honor Christ not just with the product, but with the process.

See you among the shelves,

Emma G. McKee

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