I had the privilege of meeting Allison at the Taylor Professional Writing Conference last August, and I was so impressed with the godliness and passion of this young woman. Her story ideas are fresh and exciting. I’ve also read the first chapter of her fantasy novel––Good stuff! Look for her to make a splash in YA fantasy in the future. Read on for her comments on the Casting Crowns song, Only Jesus.

Over the summer, I had the privilege of going to a Casting Crowns concert. I’d never been to a concert before, so the whole experience was new and exciting. I loved every minute of it, but one song in particular stood out to me.

At that time, they had not released it yet, so I got to hear it live before I ever heard it on the radio, which was very exciting. But that was only part of the reason it stood out.

Before they began to play, John Mark Hall, the lead singer, spoke a few words about it, sharing the story behind the song. He said he had heard a critic complaining that Christian music wasn’t going to leave a legacy. That upset him. He pointed out that Christians shouldn’t write songs (or do anything in life) in order to leave a legacy for themselves, but to point to Jesus, Only Jesus.

Watch the video here.

As a writer, this song is hard for me. Isn’t the point of writing books for people to know who you are—to remember your name?

Just think about famous authors—Dickens, Austen, Tolkien, Lewis, Henty—you remember their names, right?

But as a Christian, first and foremost, I want to be able to sing this song at the top of my lungs. I want to proclaim Christ in all my doings, whether that be writing, cooking, dusting, playing music, shoveling, or anything else.

This life isn’t about leaving a legacy, creating a following, or making a footprint in history, but reflecting Christ in everything.

My job is to be a light to the world, not to collect a million email subscribers. This life isn’t supposed to be about me, but about Christ.

When I go home to Jesus, I don’t want to be remembered for the books I’ve written, the posts I’ve made, or even the lives my stories touched. I want those around me to say, “You could see Christ in her.” I want to be remembered as a woman of faith, not as an author. That’s the legacy I want to leave.

Allison Grace is a homeschool senior from Ohio. She’s currently writing a YA fantasy full of elves, kings, horses, tragic pasts, and plot twists. When she’s not writing, she can be found reading (and fangirling over her favorite books), crocheting (mostly dolls), lip syncing her favorite songs (including “Only Jesus”), and occasionally sketching (though her characters wish she would stop messing up their faces). 

Check out her blog at http://allisongracewrites.com/