Skip to main content

Stop, Wait, and Write


March 2021, I was in the middle of a little finger crisis. If you have just started reading my blog, I'd love for you to look back to the Finger Chronicles, as I have come to call them. In summary, I broke my right pinky finger, resulting in surgery to place a screw, followed by three months of physical therapy and some permanent loss of motion in that digit. Because I'm right-handed, this little break wreaked some havoc on my life, and I found myself pleading with God to heal me so I could return to playing piano. Well, God promised to heal me. But He told me I would be healed to write. And He gently whispered that the writing would move from blogging into writing a book.

This revelation took me by complete surprise. I never dreamed I would be willing or want to share my heart in writing. The idea of writing a book was both exciting and terrifying. Nonetheless, I have learned to take God at His Word, so I prayerfully began seeking more in-depth areas of independent study to hone the craft and just learn the process of publishing in formats beyond blogging.

I began following advice of other writers while also using my own writing strategies to outline what I felt like God wanted me to write. Initially, I thought I was writing a book about me personally. I thought I was supposed to tell my story just as I have done through the blog, but in a prescriptive book format. Boy, was I wrong. Let's just say that I've been around the sun enough to have four or five books based on my personal experiences. So, I stopped and looked at the topics that had come from my heart in those moments and prayed. And waited to hear from God.

My mom has always told me when I don't know what to do that I should not do anything. From July 2021 to November 2021, that's exactly what I did. I maintained the blog, but the book had become an afterthought because I was overwhelmed with ideas and unsure of which direction to take. I'm not exactly sure how it happened, but in November 2021, God revealed what I needed to share.

I began feeling very deeply about the topic of church hurt. This is something that many people, including myself, have experienced, especially if you have grown up in a church setting. Yet, in my research, I have discovered there is precious little that addresses this topic. People who are hurt by Christians and church settings are leaving Christ and forsaking assembling together because no one wants to talk about how to have healthy conversations and resolve conflict in a Biblical way.

Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ."   (Philippians 1: 27a NIV) 

So, with very little to provide but my own experience and Biblical truths, I am plowing ahead. I realize this subject is difficult and somewhat taboo. Unfortunately, we have spent so many years perfecting how to have church and forgotten how to be the Church, so this subject will be hard for some people to discuss or even read about.

I am, however, interested to see if there are others like me. Have you left the conventional church setting because of personal hurt to you or your family? Are you still in church, but find it difficult to respect those in authority because of hurt or how they have handled situations? Have you ever left a church because of hurt by staff or other members? If you have a story to tell, please reach out to me at unbrokenundone@gmail.com. I would love to encourage you, and if you are willing to share your story for the book that is being birthed, please let me know. 

Also, pray for me during this endeavor. I want people, especially those who have walked away in hurt, to feel loved and wanted by Christ. I want those of us who are still in church to be the Bride and love others as Christ does. Ultimately, I want God to heal hearts and mend souls by hopefully offering insight and resources to equip us to continue to live in peace with everyone. 

© Jill Cook and Unbroken & Undone Ministries.  All rights reserved.


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Feelings and Faith

Vulnerable moment: it’s been a crazy week. If I’m being honest, the last six months or more have been wrought with uncertainty and so many questions within myself about my purpose.  I’ve been in a season of transition in our family with adapting to having an independent adult child and an independent teenage son-both of whom are thriving. So my purpose as a mom has shifted into steadfast support and guidance from a distance rather than rushing to the rescue, which I know is where we should be with them. This shift has adjusted our marriage. Lyndon and I are both learning how to navigate this new territory, and I’m so grateful we have each other.  My Daddy died suddenly last year, and I am still grieving the unexpected loss and what could have been. Grief is a strange journey and differs for everyone. What I know is Christ gives me the most profound peace when I feel my turbulent heart trying to sway me. But it certainly is a sadness that is layered. Because of these major life...
Post a Comment
Read more

Praise Anyway

This has been a difficult week for many reasons. At the start of the week, I was struggling to justify why I must remain patient before moving into the full calling of Unbroken and Undone and all that God has given me vision for.  It was only a week ago that I was crying with my mom and sister about not understanding why it seems like some people are able to move so easily into their calling while, for me, it has felt like my years of ministry and serving have been more of a slow crawl and constant waiting for doors to open. My sister made a remark about how hard it must have been for Abraham and Sarah to wait in their promise. I was reminded that when they tried to do things their own way, Ishmael was the result. This same sweet sister of mine has been a foster mom now for nine months. We have loved every little that has come into our lives, and it has transformed my understanding of the heart of God for us. At the end of the day, though, my sister and her husband want to adopt a ...
Post a Comment
Read more

He’s Already Heard My Prayer

This is one of the most difficult pieces to write. My dad, Steve, passed away this morning unexpectedly. He was the “Music Man” in my world who made life a song.  Daddy was responsible for putting me on the stage. At two years old, he stood me on the altar at church so everyone could watch me sing “Victory in Jesus.”   At twelve, he was teaching me how to set up equipment and mix sound. As a teenager, we wrote songs together. His love of music is so deeply ingrained in me that I feel a piece of that is somehow missing now. Things were not always great between me and Daddy. In fact, we went for a long time without having contact with one another. I’m so grateful that God restored our relationship in his final years. Neither one of us were perfect in our relationship, but I always loved him deeply. So today, I’m heartbroken. Memories are flooding my mind, and there are so many things I still wanted us to share. I know the coming days will be filled with waves of grief and the st...
Post a Comment
Read more