The Journey Continues: The Craft of Writing
My journey this week takes me to the craft of writing. During this Pandemic, what we experience is new and unique – it needs to be recorded. Moses, when camped on the Plains of Moab, was commanded by the Lord to record the spiritual and geographic progress of the journey. “At the Lord’s command, Moses recorded the stages of the journey” Numbers 33:2 (NIV).
In the book, God is in the Small Stuff the authors Bruce Bickel and Stan Jantz say, “Many people like to read but few enjoy writing and unlike reading a book, there is no such thing as skimming your writing – there are no shortcuts. Everybody has a life story. Think about yours, write it down, and then look for an opportunity to relate it publicly.” My friend, James Bazemore said, “A faintly written work is more powerful than the best memory.”
The pandemic has provided time to stay home and record life’s journey. Again, everyone has a journey but few record it for prosperity. Journaling is a personal record of occurrences, experiences, and reflections kept on a regular basis in a log/diary format.
I suggest concentrating on the pandemic to start. Record life force events before lost or forgotten. Overheard, “Old folks die and young people forget.” Topics for your journal entries: first time you heard the word pandemic or COVID-19 virus; Were you afraid? Did you pray? Remember name of first positive case? First fatality? Remember your first face mask. Where did you get it? How would those close to you describe your efforts to follow the rules? Remember empty shelves at the grocery store? Unemployment of friends and family? Reimagined birthday parties, sociallydistanced graduations and funerals? Weddings? Remember how your daily routines changed? Church online? Details of working from home. Distance learning? Online meetings? Write about interpersonal relationships at home. Honestly and critically have you made any changes to your life? Has the pandemic nudged your world view? In context with the pandemic what’s going well in your life right now? Focusing on your blessings. What’s your closest moment to Christ today?
The Apostles, especially St. Paul, wrote many letters to the New Testament churches. Paul expressed his personal hope that what he wrote was bringing people to God. “Your lives are a letter written in our hearts, and everyone can read it and recognize our good work among you.” 2 Corinthians 3:2 (NIV).
That is the best writing, when another’s life is changed because of what you do with Christ. Start today, pray over recording your life through the discipline of writing. In the future, you will be glad you did.
