Happy Wednesday, my writing friends!
I'm teaching
through the book of Acts to a group of junior highers. I love it! Maybe too
much.
Yesterday, I
was having such fun with the class, I failed to be prudent about time. I
glanced at the clock. I only had a few minutes left, but I couldn't speed
myself up. Their eyes sparkled with interest. One kid even gasped when he
figured something out. Their engagement prodded me to expound deeper and draw
more out of them.
Problem was,
when it came time to dismiss, I hadn't made my conclusion--which is, of course,
the best part! The part where I tell them about how the gospel is for them, how
Christ cares for them just like he cared for Cornelius. (That's who we
studied.)
With no time
left, I babbled out a conclusion and let them go, trusting God would use my
feeble words for His glory and their good.
This happens
with writing too, doesn't it? Sometimes I get so into my characters and plot, I
get stuck "playing" with them. Lost in the ebb and flow of scenes, I
imagine readers' responses and it provokes me to go deeper and draw more out of
them. This is a good thing. It's a GREAT thing.
For one,
writing isn't only about the end product--having a book on Amazon. The journey
is so awesome too, isn't it? If excitement over my story pulses through me, I
see it as a gift, a joy-filled, heavenly-Father gift. And I'm gonna enjoy it.
Second, when
my students see me excited about God's Word (or any topic I'm teaching on),
that enthusiasm sparks their own. Can't you tell when an author has enjoyed
writing a book? Surely our passion shines through the pages and impacts
readers.
That's why
even though I knew I'd run out of time, I let myself enjoy the process, even if
it meant the ending wouldn't be as great.
I sure
wouldn't do that with a novel! Well, I would let myself relish the writing
journey, but I can't really get away with a rushed, "babbled" ending.
The conclusion’s one of the most important parts! It’s the last impression a
reader will have. We need to nail it.
But another
thing I was reminded of from this week’s Bible class was that God can work even
through my imperfection. I didn’t nail the ending to my class, but the gospel
was spoken, however imperfectly. This doesn’t mean it’s okay to get sloppy—no it
doesn’t! But we can trust that even when we fail to follow all the writing rules, God
can use our words. And when something good results from our imperfect attempts, we know
beyond doubt it wasn’t our doing, but the Lord’s.
What a great
joy it is to serve such a gracious Savior who takes our imperfect offerings and
uses them for His glory—and gives us joy along the way.
You will not need to fight in this battle. Stand firm, hold your position, and see the salvation of the LORD on your behalf. 2 Chron. 20:17 ESV
God bless
and happy writing,
Ocieanna
