I’m a member of a national writing group called American Christian Fiction Writers. My Charleston, SC chapter decided to write an anthology of novelettes that feature our local lighthouse. There are eight contributing authors and the book is called Charleston Light.
In my story, a contemporary romance called “Shattered Darkness,” I played with contrasts. Darkness vs. light. Lies vs. truth. Captive vs. free. Despair vs. hope. As believers, these are familiar themes in scripture. I love how fiction lets me explore things that are real in an imaginary context.
The premise of my story is that Will Edgar left his high school sweetheart behind six years ago. Now he’s back in town, and vandalism to their beloved lighthouse throws them together. But Will and Raven are haunted by the past. Can they break free and learn to trust again?
At one point, Raven is confronted with a verse from Psalm 43: “Send out your light and your truth; let them lead me.” Doesn’t that verse make you think of a lighthouse? God sends out a beacon of his truth to direct my steps. He knows that there are rocks ahead and that all my best efforts won’t keep me from crashing and even sinking. But he is a lighthouse, steady and unmoving. Out of his grace, he illuminates the truth. He lights my path. He leads me in righteousness.
And then he calls me to be a mini-lighthouse, reflecting his light to a darkened world. Second Corinthians 4:6 reminds us that the same God who said, “Let there be light in the darkness,” has made that light shine in our hearts. When a friend is suffering, or neighbors are disputing, or co-workers are struggling, I can shine the light of God’s truth. And when I myself am hard-pressed by troubles but not crushed, then Christ gets the glory more and more.
My prayer is that the Lord will use even Will and Raven’s fictional story as a tiny lighthouse to lead readers to the truth of God’s word.
If you’re interested in reading “Shattered Darkness,” you can find the anthology on Amazon as an ebook or paperback. It’s also in Kindle Unlimited. Best of all, proceeds from the sale of this book go to Sanctuary of Unborn Life, a faith-based non-profit in Charleston that provides support, mentoring, and housing for local pregnant women and new mothers in need. SOUL is another example of a mini-lighthouse reflecting God’s compassion for his children.
Laurie Ingram Sibley is a pastor’s wife and mom of three. She and her family live in South Carolina where they’re planting a multicultural church. Laurie homeschools and does freelance editing and proofreading. If all that doesn’t keep her busy enough, she squeezes in pockets of time to write inspirational romance. If you sign up for her fun newsletter at http://www.lauriesibley.com, you’ll receive a free flash fiction story about the lighthouse that helps set the stage for “Shattered Darkness.”
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