Healing, Writing, and the Care of InScribe Souls by Alan Anderson

 

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”—Matthew 11:28, 29 (NIV)

 

Healing and the Care of Souls

NOTE: My mention of healing in this message is in reference to emotional or spiritual healing.

 

A Personal Ponder

While I prepared this blog post and for reasons beyond me my writing energy gave way to thoughts about our InScribe membership. Thoughts I pondered about InScribe Christian Writers’ Fellowship, are the motivation for this post.

Every so often within our InScribe membership we hear of deaths, illness, or other life changing experiences. We care for each other especially in these times. Why do we care so much? We care because InScribe is more than a writer’s group. I hope you agree with me.

 

Words Heal

When I ministered as a local church pastor I recognized a teaching role of the church membership. They taught me skills like patience, the need for community, and what it means to listen. They also taught me about my primary expression of how God gifted me to serve people. This blessed lesson motivated me to redirect my servant heart to healthcare chaplaincy.

When asked to come alongside people a good chaplain knows when to use words. Words, if needed, come after we listen. Words often heal when we come alongside a hurting soul. In this being the case, we choose our words with caution.

Write to Heal

As a pastoral student, I was taught sermons must be meaningful to the pastor before they are preached for others. I follow a similar direction as a writer. What I write must be meaningful to me as a writer before I send it out into the world. What I write must include words to hopefully bring a sense of healing to those who read them.

What I write must also be a respectful and loving reflection on InScribe. I see InScribe as my writing community, but also a community of care.

I have written for our blog for several years. When Tracy Schmidt Nagel Krauss, asked me to write for the blog I felt like my teacher asked me to speak in front of my class. Once my nerves came back into line, I accepted this great honour.

I give thanks to God and members of InScribe for helping me to develop my voice as a writer. My whole reason to write is summed up in my desire to bring a sense of healing and hope to my readers. Through the encouragement of members of InScribe I also developed the tagline for my writing. I write as one, “Touched by grief, yet held by hope.”

Healing Words of Care for Our InScribe Family

One’s physical presence in coming alongside a person who suffers, may bring healing, at least in the moment. As a chaplain I witnessed healing in the context of serious illness or the dying process. Such healing may come in the form of holding hands, a gentle touch on a loved one’s forehead, or a quiet whisper like, “It’s okay darling, you can go now, I’ll be alright.”

If geographical distance is not a challenge, we, as members of InScribe can chat with each other at a coffee shop or ice cream store. We can meet at a park and share a picnic lunch. We can come alongside each other at times of personal or family health crisis. We can hold each other’s hands to let each other know we are not alone. If you are a hugger like me, we can comfort each other with a hug. If words miss the mark even as writers, our physical presence may speak volumes.

On the other hand, perhaps physical presence is not always possible. Members of InScribe are often separated by miles, but we can still show we care. We can put our words into action through such tools as emails, letters, phone calls, post cards, Messenger, and social media platforms.

Perhaps even now, this minute, there may be a reason to reach out to an InScribe family member. Don’t wait, do it now.

Alan lives in Deroche, B.C. with his wife, Terry, and their poodle, Charlie. He contributed stories to Good Grief People by Angel Hope Publishing, 2017; Story by Story: The Power of a Writer, Unstoppable Writers Publishing, 2018; Easter Stories & More by InScribe Christian Writers’ Fellowship, 2021. He is currently working on a book expressing the grief of grieving grandparents entitled “Hidden Poetic Voices: A Reflective Work of Grief, Faith, and Poetry.” Alan periodically writes articles for FellowScript Magazine. He has written posts for our InScribe blog since 2015. Blog: https://scarredjoy.ca.