H is for an A-Ha ~ Michelle Strutenberger

 

Photo by Micah Strutzenberger 2023.

“What does it mean to prosper as a Christian writer?” That question has been an itch on my brain for decades. My first blog for InScribe showed some of the scratching I’ve arrived at after years of reflection, anguished experience, and prayer.

Today, I want to share the a-ha that has further soothed the itch. The a-ha came to me while I was reading certified engineer and dedicated Christian, Henry Haemel’s reflections on the Psalms.

In his blog post, titled, “Fruit, Anyone?” Henry unpacks the Psalm 1 theme on the prosperity promised to those who reject sin. “We tend of think of prosperity in terms of health, and wealth, and happiness,” Henry writes. However, “In context with the rest of the verse, prosperity is the process of achieving fruitfulness.”1

While Henry writes for Christians in general, I had a sudden and uplifting thought: What if I think of my prosperity as a Christian writer in terms of achieving fruitfulness?*

What if I expand beyond the typical weigh scales of writer prosperity - financial return, social media engagement, and reader feedback?

What if I ask myself some different questions to determine my level of prosperity?

After further reflection, I created a new prosperity weigh scale for myself as a Christian writer. Here are my three new tallies of success:

1.      Did I write today? If so, check. I am being fruitful. I am in the process of producing good results.

In many other professions, just showing up and doing the work is enough. Most of us writers do show up faithfully every day. We do the work. We work hard at the work. But because we don’t necessarily get the financial, reader feedback or social media return, we consider ourselves “unprosperous.” What if we see showing up and doing the work as one of our weigh scales of prosperity?

2.      Did I pray over, around, through, and about my writing? Did I ask God for direction about what to write? Did I beg for His anointing as I wrote? If so, check. I am in the process of achieving fruitfulness.

Shortly after my discovery of Henry’s post, my morning devotions featured a quote by Mother Theresa on fruitfulness. “The fruit of our work, as well as the ability to carry it out, comes from prayer.”

As devoted Christian writers, I am guessing most if not all of us pray earnestly over our work already. What if we see that choice to lean on the Lord as one of our weigh scales of prosperity?

3.     Did I line up my writing with God’s word – not just the content, but how I went about my writing and my motives? If so, check. I am being fruitful.

Referring again to Psalm 1, Henry highlights how those who align themselves with God’s Word, the Bible, are like trees planted by streams of water “which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither - whatever they do prospers” (Psalm 1:3, NIV). When your work as a writer is planted in the word of God fruitfulness is a given. What if we start checking off our “Bible-alignment” as a weigh scales of our prosperity? 

So, these are my new daily questions:

1. Did I show up and write?

2. Did I pray earnestly over what to write and ask for God’s anointing as I wrote?

3. Did my writing – both the content and how I went about it – line up with God’s Word?

Check, check, and check? I am in the process of achieving fruitfulness. I am achieving prosperity.

 

*I want to be careful not to add to Scripture. I am scooping out the general notion of prosperity as achieving fruitfulness and pasting it onto our work as Christian writers, but I understand that Psalm 1 promises fruitfulness to those who live to please the Lord. I think my third question does align with this, but if anyone has concerns about what I’ve written I would be happy to hear from you.

Michelle is an instructor and Braillist. She and her family enjoy hiking trails and mountains. She recently launched the series, "What Growing Up in a Mennonite Family of 10 Taught Me About Survival." To learn more, visit awakehope.ca.