Writing to Bless Others by Susan Barclay

This month’s prompt asks what outreach or ministry opportunities has God given us through our writing. How have our words provided nourishment, encouragement or redemption to someone else?

For several years I facilitated my church’s Creative Writing Team. Along with a few others gifted in writing, we produced a ‘Family Faith Book’ which parents could use with their children. Each week we would offer a key verse, a character builder, and activities to do with preschoolers as well as together as a family. We provided a page for children where they could do colouring, work through a maze, answer some riddles, do some puzzles or word searches. While we didn’t get much feedback for our efforts apart from the encouragement of the children’s minister and volunteer coordinator, I like to think that our words promoted the spiritual growth of children and their parents. Those of us who were part of the team definitely benefited from the work, experiencing our own nourishment as we studied God’s Word and created our weekly take-home pages. Only God knows how His Word met the hearts and needs of others in our church community.

These days Inscribe and my personal blog are the launching pads for writing that I hope encourages and nourishes readers. I appreciate the positive comments I receive when my words touch someone. Sometimes I don’t think much of these words myself – “I could have done better” – but God uses what I say to bless someone else and enables me to hear about it. That is such a wonderful feeling and awareness, to know that what I may think is weak carries God’s power, His hope and His grace. It humbles me and urges me forward.

Now glory be to God, who by his mighty power at work within us is able to do far more than we would ever dare to ask or even dream of—infinitely beyond our highest prayers, desires, thoughts, or hopes. Ephesians 3:20, TLB