Recently a post titled "Why Blog?" brought the most responses of any blog post to date. Today I hope to answer why I blog. I have a renewed passion to craft my thoughts into written words.
Writing became important to me near the end of my senior year in high school. Two of my friends had struggles in writing. The graduation requirement of satisfactorily completing an essay had thrown them into a panic. I worked with both of them on their essays. I ended up with only one night to write and complete my essay. I rushed through the night and completed what I concluded would be acceptable to the teacher.
My friends lit up with relief and joy when they each got B's on their essays. My mouth dropped in shock when my essay was graded "incomplete." I tearfully stayed late for class to talk with the teacher, Mrs. Smith.
Defensively I asked Mrs. Smith what was incomplete on my essay? I told her I had read my friends' essays and felt mine was equal to theirs. Mrs. Smith looked long and hard at me.
She then paused for an uncomfortably long time before she said, "Sue and Beth have never written anything up to the level of their essays. Somehow I believe you had something to do with this sudden talent emerging in both of them. Your incomplete grade is because I believe you have more inside you than you wrote in your essay. I believe you are a writer with a gift. They don't have that gift. Take the weekend and mine deep within you and write. Surprise me. This time you won't be distracted with the needs of your friends."
I never left my room for two days except to eat and necessities. Mrs.Smith was pleasantly surprised with the essay, but not as much as I was. I discovered the joy of writing. That began a pursuit of digging deep and finding "gold." I never write with confidence, but I never quit digging. Mining doesn't guarantee gold with every dig, but the hope of a nugget makes the work worth the effort.
Blogging is wonderful because I don't have to worry about publishing .... I just write. As a Christian I devote myself to whatever I know God is calling me to do. Life has been traumatic with caring for many ill family members over the last fifteen years. I have written in my journal continuously. That crude unedited writing would not be suitable for readers. Now, there is time to dare to write with the hope of a reader.
Blogging has pushed me to edit, process and dig deeply. My only hope is that Holy Spirit flows like the ink, in me, the fountain pen. Should I ever mix that up, no life will come from my writing.
So here we are full circle back to the question that opened this post: Why Blog? Because I desire to write. I pray to hear God and be His fountain pen. May Holy Spirit flow the ink that gives life to the reader. May they thrive more in their Christian journey because of life-giving grace on this blog.
King Solomon gave us these words: Proverbs 18:4 The words of a man’s mouth are deep waters; the fountain of wisdom is a bubbling brook.
Today we might offer that same thought with these words,
A person's words can be life-giving water; words of true wisdom can be as refreshing as a bubbling brook.
