HIs Message, Your Voice

by Shadia Hrichi

The air was crisp when I ventured out early one morning to walk Mount Hermon’s Sequoia Trail. Two days had passed at the Mount Hermon Christian Writers Conference and I was eager to spend some time alone with my Lord. I walked about a quarter mile among the beautiful redwoods before stopping to rest on a wooden bench. A bird chirped above me in the trees while gentle waters rolled across the rocks in a stream below.

Just then I sensed God say, “Close your eyes and listen.” So I did. “How many birds do you hear?”

Up to this point, I had been aware of only two birds, one chirping up above and another off to my right. I closed my eyes and listened. Immediately, I heard a songbird behind me. Had it been singing all along? Then something resembling, “hoot, hoot” echoed high above the branches. Somewhere in the distance, a dove cooed. I began to count. Two … three … four … I hadn’t noticed that there were so many different birds nearby… five … There’s another one! … six … then down below a duck intruded on the chorus with an abrupt ‘quack!’

Seven! I count seven, Lord!

Wow, when my eyes were open, I only noticed two. How cool, I thought to myself—such variety! I started to chuckle as my mind wandered to my writing. Praying silently, I mused, which sound am I, Lord … the duck?

I sensed God’s smile, “Your voice, my child, is still unheard.” I bowed my head, surrendering to his will when I heard him continue, “… but one day it will be.”

I found God’s promise so encouraging, I shared it with my mentoring group on the last morning of the conference–everyone was deeply encouraged.

Did you know just like fingerprints, God gave every human being a distinct voice pattern? What a beautiful picture! As Christians, each of us has been given his message of truth and love to share with the world, and no two persons will voice it in the same way. As a writer, stay true to your voice for it has been given to you for a purpose that no other person can fulfill. Therefore, let each of us surrender ourselves to God: our writing, our ministry, our dreams, our hopes, trusting that he, in his perfect timing and perfect will, will make our voice heard for his great glory.

Shadia Hrichi is the author of Worthy of Love: A Journey of Hope and Healing After Abortion (a Bible study for post-abortion healing) and Nameless No More. She is currently writing a new series of Bible studies centered on various “unsung heroes” of the faith. The first study is based on the story of Hagar, to be published by Leafwood/ACU Press in early 2018. She holds an MA in Biblical and Theological Studies, as well as an MA in Criminal Justice and BA in Psychology. Shadia currently resides in northern California where she loves to visit the ocean each week for “a date with Jesus.” Visit http://www.shadiahrichi.com