“Write like you used to run. For the pure joy of it.” –#FiveMinuteFriday –>click to tweet.
On Fridays around these parts we like to write. Not for comments or traffic or anyone else’s agenda. But for pure love of the written word. For joy at the sound of syllables, sentences and paragraphs all strung together by the voice of the speaker.
We love to just write without worrying if it’s just right or not. For five minutes flat.
Here’s how we do it:
1. Write for 5 minutes flat on the prompt “After” with no editing, tweaking or self critiquing.
2. Link back here and invite others to join in {you can grab the button code in my blog’s footer}.
3. Go and tell the person who linked up before you what their words meant to you. Every writer longs to feel heard.
OK, are you ready? Give me your best five minutes for the prompt:
Jump…
GO:
Close your eyes. Breathe deep. Unclench your hands. Open your eyes. See the road before you – full of ups and downs and bumps and twists and turns. People waiting to teach, to listen, to hold you up, to be a shoulder, share a dream, push through the wretched bits together. Beautiful one, you are called and set apart for a purpose that is unique as the fingerprint swirl on your hand. You are cherished and chosen and never overlooked. You are wildly loved, yes even your broken bits and pieces. Your lost stories. Your unhappy endings. You are not forgotten. You are called according to a purpose and it’s not the same as hers. You are made for your own story. You are invited on a rugged adventure and all you have to do is jump.
Scared is normal. It’s not brave if you’re not scared. But He holds your whole story in your hands. Not just the shiny bits. Not just the perfect endings. He holds the doubts and worries and desperate midnight prayers in His hands. All of it. All of it is wanted and welcome and home in the hands of the Potter who sculpted this one unique life that bears your name.
Run, jump, skip, crawl if you have to. Friend, you were made for a journey. We’re traveling to that city on a hill. One step at a time. One jumping and leaping and praising God step at a time. Even on the worst days. Especially then.
STOP.
Aww needed to hear this tonight thank you Lisa-Jo.
Pretty sure this made me cry. It speaks directly into what I am thinking/going through right now. God words.
“One jumping and leaping and praising God step at a time. Even on the worst days.” What a beautiful reminder. I love it – jumping and leaping and praising. I’m so there. We’re all unique and our stepping and praising may not all look the same, but we’re headed in the same direction. Love that. Thank you for sharing your soul and a Happy Weekend too. Not writing this week; just cheering from the sidelines. Rah Rah and all that!!!!
Lately God is surrounding me with reminders of the goal of this journey we’re on. Thank you for your words of encouragement!
LOVE this… all of it – but this? “You are made for your own story” – so much yes!
I’m crawling, but at least it moves me in the right direction!
Be blessed this weekend at the retreat. Michelle and Deidra are two of my very favorite people:) I can’t wait to hear what God accomplishes through all of you as you Jump Tandem!
Beautiful.
Wow. This was powerful for me Lisa-Jo! I always write my post before I read yours so I’m not swayed toward a certain take on your prompt word. I’m so glad I remembered to come back and read yours before I headed to bed. It feels like this is the third time God has told me the same thing today…and the way you said it just went straight to my heart. Thank you so much. I can’t tell you how I needed to hear this!
“Scared is normal. It’s not brave if you’re not scared.”
Thank you for this. I think we need to be reminded sometimes that courage is not the absence of fear; rather, it’s the willingness to move forward in the face of fear.
So beautiful! I think I crawl most days, but He comes and brings strength so that I can jump! Blessings!
Your first sentences were so special: Close your eyes. Breathe deep. Unclench your hands.
I was with our 3 (almost 4 yr old) son this week at an occupational therapy evaluation. I had to close my eyes at one point, breath deep, pray….he does not want to “unclench his hands.” He has a big fear of new foods. We knew he didn’t want certain food by his mouth, but I had no idea he didn’t even want to hold “cheese” in his hands. He cried. I cried with him. We do not want to unclench our hands to what we fear may hurt or to what is unknown. God is there though. He helps us push through. We are never forgotten by Him. He is with each of us…even our little boy who is scared to hold much less taste cheese! ;)
Wonderful post. All the words I needed to hear today. Thank you!
“You are made for your own story.” Amen! It took me years to figure that out.
Your words here today are saturated with The Holy Spirit.
Bridging the gap between my screen and yours.
Thank you.
God bless.
Cheers.
Leah
If I didn’t know better, I would say that you spent the day with me yesterday and wrote this just for me. But that is what is so amazing about your words – you touch so many because this is simple truth wrapped in your glorious words. <3
:) love this!
You wrote this one for me! How did you know? :)
This is such a timely message.
as we head into this weekend, i want to take ALL of these words and copy them into my journal. thank you so much dear friend. love this. love the challenge and the love!
“Scared is normal. It’s not brave if you’re not scared. But He holds your whole story in your hands. Not just the shiny bits. Not just the perfect endings. He holds the doubts and worries and desperate midnight prayers in His hands. All of it. All of it is wanted and welcome and home in the hands of the Potter who sculpted this one unique life that bears your name.” – I love this! I don’t read what anyone else has written about the prompt until after I get my own writing finished, and it’s always fun to see the different perspectives. ‘Jump’ is one of my favorites. :)
Thank you so much for these beautiful, strong,full of truth words. It may be the day, the minute or the season in my life, that find me in chaos, so much of it, there are days I hold on I know only because his mercy and grace are infinite.
Words can not express just how much my life has been blessed by your five minutes this Friday and in many other writings. You have once again reminded me to have faith and carry on, because through him, all is possible.
THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU.
“You are made for your own story” – I love this. He equipped us for this – didn’t he! Awesomely encouraging post!
This touched me. Too long I have been scared. Too long I thought I was worthless, a nothing who didn’t deserve to live. Too long I let it control me. My life, were its ending written a little over seven years ago, would have had an unhappy ending, but I let God take control. God led me to the man with whom I would spend the rest of my life (and as my husband and I joke, we are a match only God could make). God gave me the courage (in form of my then new husband) to begin finding my birth family. God gave me a new chapter to my life, a happier ending although my life is not yet over, through both my husband and my reuniting with my birth family. In both cases — agreeing to start dating my husband (we wed exactly five month and one week after he first asked me if I wanted to date) and searching for my birth family — I had to jump in and not hold back. It was not as scary as I thought it would be because I knew He was on my side. That’s what I touched upon in my five minute blog. I am so glad I found this site so that I can share with others and read many other beautiful words that others so willingly share. Thank you!!!
So interesting how you hit on the theme of being brave — not being scared — in light of the jump we can take, today. So perfect for what is going on in my life!
lisa-jo, wanted to share with you the WonDEr and ReVELatiOn[ that what has become for my girls group, ten minute tuesdays.]has become contagious…… I host a tuesday eve drop in our country home, for a small group of 16yr old girls from our senior youth. I suggested ‘five minute fridays’ writing idea to them and they jumped for it 100%. The wisdom, insight, humour, depth,intimacy, conversation,self~awareness, pain, delight and so much more, that has come from their writing, is profound! They love it, they bring friends to join in. We are going to make a giant collage on canvas with their pics [did a red lips photo shoot ;-) ] and their words, their wise wise wise words. BLESS dear you for this idea, for inspiring me and for being a catalyst to this uber-great group of girls in guelph, ontario!
Oh goodness I LOVE hearing that! Promise to send me a photo will you?
Lisa, you always have something wonderful for us to read with your prompts. Thank you. I enjoy the Five Minute Friday. Have a blessed day!
Oooh, this made me feel all atingle, my not so shiny bits and all. Beautiful.
Lisa-Jo thank you for the reminder that taking the plunge is necessary. Moving forward. Yes. There’s no other alternative!
Lisa-Jo, were you on my couch last night? Did you see my tears and hear my doubt as I asked my husband why my God-Sized dream seems like a mark I can’t reach?
I’m just beginning toward these things He dreams for me and I’ve been hard pressed on every side. Truthfully, I’ve wanted to quit and I haven’t even really begun.
So, this morning I took your dare. My hands were shaking as I wrote and I didn’t know what I was writing. By the end of my post, I couldn’t stop the shaking and tears were dripping down to my lap as I sat there at my computer.
“I’m here God. What am I doing here?”
And in this, I’m finding something called community. And I love it. And I want to truly link arms with these like minds so I can call some of this community “friend”. I pray He helps me to do that.
In the meantime, thank you for your words. God is truly using you for His glory.
Yes this is so wonderful – i am a new mommy with a 10 almost 11 week old. I have found myself not as prayerful these past weeks as i would have liked due too a newer much busier schedule. I so appreciate your encouragement at this moment – bless you dearly
I really like the idea of the jump being our first step of the journey we’re afraid to (under)take. Wonderful post, as always.
Laura Hedgecock
http://www.TreasureChestofMemories.com
http://www.Twitter.com/LauraLHedgecock
precious lady, I NEEDED THIS TODAY! thank you so much for saying it so well.
blessings to you dear,
Selah
Dear Lisa-Jo,
Just wanted you to know that your poem ‘Jump’ was so inspiring that my husband and I chose
to read it at our daughter’s college graduation yesterday. Thank you so much for your beautiful
words.
Diane
Ok. I am just discovering this. I am totally in for next Friday! Cheers! Tara
Sad I was last to post for this FMF. Hope all will stay calm enough for me to jump in right away this week (today!). Thanks for doing this. I love reading what others share and the different way each of us interprets one word. Be blessed, Kimberly :)
very good idear
Phew, that was well done. and amen. http://bellesbazaar-heather.blogspot.com/2014/03/jump-5-minute-prompt.html