When Simple Is Mistaken for Shallow
Outside my genre of Christian romance, some might say I write drivel. To them, my work may appear juvenile, too plain, or lacking the layered symbolism often found in literary classics.
Those classics contain depth, sometimes hidden meaning, the kind my English teachers tried valiantly to help me uncover. They can be discussed and debated for decades, argued over in classrooms and book clubs as readers try to discern what the author really meant without ever stating it outright.
But does that make my writing less?
I’ve wrestled with that question more than once.
Does Visibility Define Value?
Recently, my brother-in-law appeared in a movie that released a few months ago. He’s been in several television shows, films, and commercials over the years. He enjoys the work, the creativity, and especially the people he meets along the way. When he watches a finished project, he often sees flashes of himself and remembers the moments behind the scenes. Walking down a street for a single shot. Answering a phone in a call center. Sitting as a high-ranking official in a court-martial scene. Delivering lines in a Revolutionary War retelling. Promoting a product in a commercial.
And sometimes, his scene never makes it into the final cut. The camera moved on. And as the story shifted, his lines were trimmed.
But does that mean he wasn’t part of the film?
Of course not.
Just because the audience didn’t see him doesn’t mean he wasn’t there. His presence still mattered. His work still contributed to the whole, even if it wasn’t visible in the end.
In the same way, just because I write books that don’t dominate bestseller lists doesn’t mean they don’t have a place in the vast sea of stories already written. Not every contribution is meant to be spotlighted. Some are simply meant to exist faithfully within the larger work.
Every Story Has a Purpose
That thought brings me back to another question I often ask when I’m on the reading side of a story.
Why did the author write this book?
Take Sounder, for example. Was it written to teach a moral lesson? To awaken society to injustice and hardship? Or was it written simply to evoke a feeling, to stir something deep and unspoken in the reader’s heart?
Whatever the intent, it did what it was meant to do. And if the author wanted to evoke feelings, my oldest daughter can tell you the story of us having to turn the VHS off until she stopped sobbing, then asked me to sit with her for the remainder of the movie.
I have a purpose in my stories as well.
“Success as a writer isn’t measured by numbers. It’s measured by obedience to the story God has called you to tell.”
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Writing Faith Without Hidden Meaning
If I filled my stories with hidden meanings that required deciphering or caused confusion, I believe it would distract from that purpose. It could pull readers away from the heart of the message rather than draw them closer to it. Instead, I want them to pause and ponder the depth of Scripture itself. To reflect on truth as it appears plainly within a scene, a conversation, or a moment of surrender.
In Desire of My Heart, Grammie pours her heart out to God through the night as she waits for His answer. That scene isn’t layered with symbolism meant to be decoded. It is an example. A quiet picture of what it might look like for someone longing to hear from the Lord and willing to wait for Him.
In Matters of the Heart, Hans doesn’t even recognize his need for a Savior. His understanding of God is distorted, shaped by pride and misunderstanding. He needs the steady example of a humble preacher to show him who God truly is. And when Hans finally encounters the Lord for himself, the experience is overwhelming. Transforming. Breath-stealing. My hope is that it stirs something in the reader as well, awakening emotions that may have gone dormant.
If I were to layer those moments with hidden meanings, readers might miss the simplicity of faith, waiting, obedience, and surrender. Sometimes truth does not need embellishment.
Measuring Success by Calling, Not Numbers
So, have I failed as a writer if I never become a USA Today bestseller? Have I failed if one royalty check is smaller than the last?
I don’t believe so.
If I know my purpose, and if I remain faithful to the calling God has placed on my heart, then success cannot be measured by numbers alone. It is measured by obedience. By integrity. By staying true to the story I am meant to tell.
And if even one reader draws closer to Christ through a story that was written simply, honestly, and with intention, then the work was worth every word.
“Moreover, it is required of stewards that they be found faithful.” 1 Corinthians 4:2 (ESV)
As you consider your own calling, may you be encouraged to seek fa ithfulness over recognition and trust God with the outcome.
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