June 07, 2015

A Delighted Gasp – Ramona Heikel



I can think of two occasions when my mind was flooded with unusual inspiration, with exceptional story ideas.  Words flowed; bright, engaging words.  I wrote as much as I could as fast as I could, and those first drafts were some of the best work I’ve ever done.  One piece was accepted by the first publisher I sent it to and the second one—coincidentally—I am submitting to a publisher today (fingers crossed!).

Not long ago I found the DVD of Chariots of Fire at a thrift store and watched this great movie again.  Like Eric Liddell, I too feel God’s pleasure when I run (although I don’t run much anymore!).  The way I feel when I run fast and strong is the same way I feel when I write with unexpected inspiration, ease and excellence.  It is one reason I am sure that God is the one behind my love of writing and whatever talent I have.

It’s not just the feeling when an extraordinary idea comes to me, it’s the joy—and even laughter and tears—that come with it.  It’s the smile on my face or in my heart that remains through the whole piece.  It’s the feeling of unchallenged confidence that this work is a precious gift I am giving to the world. 

The word “inspire” in medicine means “to draw in breath”.  Perhaps I’m hearing the delighted (or amused?) gasp of a Father as he reacts to his child's writing!


I don’t think a person can try to have these moments of feeling God’s pleasure.  I'm pretty sure they are gifts, not something earned by putting in the hours and meeting the word quotas.  What makes them so moving is that they are a surprise—they come out of no where—and all we can do is pick up pen and paper to record the words we’ve been given.

Who knows?  Maybe they come as reminders that all of our best writing actually comes from God’s spirit; and we tap into that spirit by choosing more often to set aside our human inventions, techniques and advice, in favor of spending some quiet moments drawing close to God.


Posted by Ramona

There is fascinating information on Wikipedia and other websites about Eric Liddell, describing his life of Christian service, and his last days which were spent humbly doing whatever good he could, in an internment camp in China.


5 comments:

  1. A lovely post. Wishing you good luck in your latest submission!

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  2. Anonymous5:26 am GMT-7

    I didn't know that is what inspire meant! Thank you for sharing. It is always inspiring to read how God works through us.

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  3. "...a delighted gasp of a Father..." I believe that to be true--we are His delight and we feel His delight. That's what I'm writing about in my blogpost for the month too. Thanks for this.

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  4. Inspiring, Ramona. What more can I say, but thanks.

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  5. "I am sure that God is the one behind my love of writing and whatever talent I have." And how He pours His love and pleasure into us as we write! Thanks for writing this post, Ramona.

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