Thursdays - Devotions for Writers
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. (2 Cor. 1:3-4 NIV)
Have you ever asked, “Why me?”
Life can be tough. Even for Christians. Sometimes . . . especially for Christians. I don’t know anyone who hasn’t struggled with something, or had to deal with hurtful situations. If you were to put some true-life experiences into novel form, readers might find them unbelievable. Truth really is sometimes stranger than fiction.
Maybe the question shouldn’t be, “Why me?” Maybe it should be, “What do I do with it, now?”
In Corinthians we read that we are to give comfort as we have received comfort from God. We are to use what we’ve experienced, and our understanding of that experience to help others. God can take what was meant for evil and use it for good.
Do the same with your writing. Take what has been painful in your lives - and what has been healing - and put it into words.
You don’t have to expose our life on paper. But try to dig deep and use the emotions you’ve felt – betrayal, fear, anxiety, abandonment, loneliness – whatever has been difficult and painful. If you're writing fiction, allow your characters to experience those emotions. Let your readers know that they're not alone, someone understands, and that God and His love is bigger than anything bad they've experienced.
Will it be easy? No. It might be one of the hardest things you ever attempt to do. But is it worth it in order to bring forth good out of bad? Only you can answer that for yourself. But think about this . . . you might also find healing for your own heart and spirit in the process.
Be comforted – that you might comfort.
Dawn
