By Allison Stein
I am excited to announce my new book, Trust the Wind! I would like to share my note to the reader with the hope to inspire faith and kindness in all. Enjoy!
Words forge connections. They inspire action. And I believe they change the world. To hold this book in my hands for the first time is to learn that the dream that has been alive only in my heart is now tangible. Yet at the same time, the poems are suddenly beyond my grasp—no more rewrites, no more second chances. The world will see my as I am. Exhausted and euphoric all at once, I can scarcely process in my mind that I have finally scaled the mountain, that journey has given way to destination. I thank God for the love that sparked this pursuit and the tenacity that sustained it. I ask Him to open my eyes to the beauty of His creation, that I may strive to encapsulate a silhouette of such grandeur on paper, that one miracle at a time might be remembered. And I pray for courage—because I am strong, but I am scared.
I’m scared I’m not good enough. I’m mortified that strangers will know me on such a vulnerable level, for I’ve etched my soul in each word. I’m afraid of being forgotten. How can I justify a book that may never touch another spirit? How can I even imagine that the truths palpitating in only one heart will penetrate the walls of so many others?
Sometimes I worry that a page would be better off blank than with my rudimentary scribbles staining its purity. But my doubts are so small, so meaningless, from the perspective that God has blessed me with this beautiful gift. I hear His call to share embers of faith and hope burning within. And I will answer. Maybe I’ll make a difference to somebody, somewhere. That’s the dream.
I don’t know where I’m going, but I know I’ll get there. I spend so long searching for direction, yet I—we—need only to follow the compass of faith. We need only to trust the wind. Yes, we each have only one heart to reach into, but we can reach out to so many more.