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| Dawn Kinzer |
Facing
Paralyzing Fear
I know a young woman who has a beautiful voice. She loves to
sing. In the car, around the house, during worship . . . She’s an extrovert who
doesn’t fear meeting new people—or speaking to a crowd.
But this same woman would never sing in front of a small group
of people, let alone a large one.
Do you want to know why?
When she was a little girl she was given a solo to sing during
the Christmas production at a large church. The evening of the program, the
worship center filled with close to a thousand people. She’d been excited for
weeks to play the role of Mary and sing the lullaby, but while kids got into
costume, many of them asked if she felt nervous. When the time came for her to
sing, she was terrified. With the spotlight illuminating the girl on stage, her
voice cracked while hitting a high note, and following the performance, several children teased her.
That experience created a paralyzing fear to sing alone in
public.
But, you know what? Recently, that now thirty-three-year-old
woman (my youngest daughter) decided to face her fears. Wanting to be an
example to her own daughter, she auditioned for the worship team at their
church and was asked to join them. It’s been a freeing experience for her.
An older daughter is a professional singer and actress, and
she thrives on performing. I served on a worship team as a vocalist for
nineteen years. We could have downplayed my younger daughter’s fears of singing
in public. But when audition day arrived, we texted and cheered her on, prayed
for her, and let her know that we understood how important that step was for
her. We told my daughter we were proud of her.
We’re products of our past. Our history plays a significant
role in how we perceive ourselves and what we can accomplish. We all probably
have memories of at least one failure—one thing that makes us cringe inside
every time we allow ourselves to think about it. Maybe that experience involved
a person who made us feel stupid or not good enough.
Our writing life can also be affected when we allow past
failures or hurtful comments to paralyze us.
Many of you will be attending the American Christian Fiction
Writers conference in September. I attended my first ACFW conference in 2005. I
traveled to Nashville alone, having only an e-mail connection with one other
writer. I remember the hour—the minutes—prior to my first appointment with an
agent to pitch my novel. I was so terrified I felt physically ill. But, I
survived that meeting! And as time passed and I gained more experience at
conferences, I actually began to look forward to meeting with agents and
editors.
It may take all the courage we can muster to write the stories
of our hearts and then submit our work to be scrutinized by critique members,
contest judges, professionals in publishing—even readers. But, we need to be
bold! We need to be brave!
For those of us who are a bit more experienced, let’s remember
how difficult it is to be vulnerable. Let’s be patient and not belittle anyone’s questions or
insecurities. Let’s cheer our fellow writers on.
“Have I
not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be
terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will
be with you wherever you go.” (Joshua
1:9 NIV)
When it feels that fear may paralyze you, remember . . .
you’re a child of God. You have a personal relationship with a King! And he
loves you.
He’s bestowed a passion and gift for writing upon you because
he has a purpose for you and what you create.
Be strong and courageous enough to follow your calling. God is
with you wherever you go.
What
fears have you faced (or are currently facing) in your writing career? How have
you handled them?
Romance. Heartbreak. Scandal.
Secrets. Second Chances.
In 1902,
Sarah McCall is waiting to leave for the mission field when the man she once
loved steps back into her life. Abandoned as a child by her mother and gambler
father, she strives to overcome a tarnished history she didn’t create and a
heartbreak she can’t forget.
Peter
Caswell returns to his Wisconsin hometown a pastor, dedicated to his
four-year-old daughter and new congregation. But no matter how hard he tries to
move on with his life, he can’t forgive himself for his wife’s death.
When
Sarah learns that Peter is returning to Riverton, the letter giving her
departure date for Africa can’t come soon enough for her. They were best friends—she
loved him and supported his dreams—but he married another and broke her heart.
Although ten years have passed since he left Riverton, Peter hopes Sarah still
cares enough to give him a second chance. But a charming newcomer pursues her
affections—and Sarah’s childhood nemesis manipulates her way into Peter’s life.
Will Sarah and Peter find their way to forgiveness and each other, or will past
mistakes make a life together impossible?
Readers will find 20+ questions included
for reflection and discussion.
Dawn Kinzer is a
freelance editor, and her own work has been has been published in the Christian Fiction Online Magazine, Backyard Friends, The One Year Life Verse Devotional, A Joyful Heart: Experiencing the Light of His Love, and featured
numerous times on the radio ministry, The
Heartbeat of the Home. She co-hosts
and writes for Seriously Write. Her personal blog, The Garden of Dreams, focuses on
encouraging women to find purpose and pursue their dreams in the different
seasons of their lives. Sarah’s Smile
is the first book in her historical romance series The Daughters of Riverton,
and Hope’s Design is the second.
A mother and grandmother, Dawn lives with her husband in the
beautiful Pacific Northwest. Favorite things include dark chocolate, good wine,
strong coffee, the mountains, family time, and Masterpiece Theatre.
You can connect and learn more about Dawn and her work by
visiting these online sites: Author
Website, Dawn’s Blog, Goodreads,
Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram.
Sign up on her website to receive her newsletter, and you’ll
receive Dawn’s short story, Maggie’s
Miracle (PDF format) as a gift.
