Romancing the Words by Sandi Somers

June is the traditional month for weddings. How appropriate, then, that our prompts focus our thoughts on Romancing the Words.




When did you realize you were romanced by words, language and writing? 

Did you, like Madeleine L’Engle, write your first stories at age five? (Her mother saved those stories for a time, but they’ve thankfully disappeared. She acknowledged, “we don’t write immortal prose at five.”)

Has your writing been a joy?

You may feel like Annie Proulx, who said that writing is “a joyous task. It’s hard, but it’s joyous.”

Or do you sometimes have a love/hate relationship with writing?

Maybe you are like John Muir, the 19th Century naturalist. "This business of writing books is a long, tiresome, endless job," he said while writing his memoirs. Others said he groaned over his work, and he wrote and rewrote, not once, but twenty times trying to polish to perfection.

How does Jesus the Bridegroom romance you with His Words to you?
How is Jesus encouraging you, spurring you on, loving you with His presence as you write?

Romancing Toward My Goals

"Go confidently in the direction of your dreams!"

~ Henry David Thoreau

My first publication came when I was about twelve and entered a writing competition for a children’s’ magazine. I wrote the article on a snowy cold day when school was cancelled. I don’t remember much of the content, but I looked out at that frigid sunny day and used sunshine in the story (a technique writers are advised to use).

I won first prize, my first success in becoming a writer.

After that time, my writing became like a seesaw: sometimes I wrote for publication, sometimes I couldn’t write formally, as when I moved into my first home. Some of my articles were published, others were rejected. Some drafts developed into well-written articles, others remained a disorganized miasma.

Meanwhile, I continued journaling significant moments of my life: two years living in Colombia, South America and other travels; work with immigrants and refugees of many cultures; rich spiritual experiences. And I wrote initial drafts of many articles.

Now I’m writing more intentionally, bringing to life my dreams of writing.

How is it going? you may ask. And here’s the challenge.

Being patient when I can’t find the key that unlocks the potential of an idea. Sitting staring at my computer folders full of UFOs--unfinished objects, enough to take me through the next twenty years. Or taking time to discover what relates to my readers.

On the other hand, I recognize that endorphin lift when I encapsulate a good idea or finish a well-developed article. Joy comes when my words speak to others.

Jesus is encouraging me with Maya Angelou’s words—Maya, who passed away this week: "The desire to reach hearts is wise and most possible."

And Jesus encourages me this Paul’s words: “I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us” (Philippians 3:14 NLT).

Now it’s your turn. What thoughts come to mind as you romance the words?