Teatime with my Fellow Writers ~ by Michelle Strutzenberger

Will you join me for a cup of tea and a scone? Have a seat. Here you go. The tea is hot, so be careful. I made the strawberry jam.

Aaaaah. Isn’t this lovely?

Now, I’d love to hear all about your work.

What are you excited to be writing these days?

Interesting. That sounds like a good challenge.

You’re asking about my work? Well, I’ve recently been encouraged to revisit a book I wrote on my journey through grief after the death of my twin. I wrote and self-published it to share with a few friends and family several years ago, but I’m wondering about editing it and publishing an updated version. I’m just praying about it right now. It will be a challenge for me, so if you could help me pray about this, I would be grateful.

Speaking of challenging writing tasks, what are some practices that you follow to help you cope?

Very good. Thank you for sharing. You’re wondering about mine? Well, one is prayer. I pray before I write, while I write, and after, when I am sharing. I feel I need the Lord’s guidance and strength every step.

I also try to ensure I write when I have the mental and emotional “space” to do so. In other words, if I am exhausted physically, emotionally spent due to some crises in my life, or just have too much on my plate, I will not push myself to write. I wait for a time when I have a few hours of quiet and I am in a relatively calm state of mind.

One more question, what is your greatest hope or prayer for your current writing project?

Okay, thank you for sharing. What is my greatest prayer for this project, you ask? Well, if I do go forward with this book, I would like to know that readers are helped and encouraged in their own grief journeys. I have been very careful in sharing my grief story not to say that others must follow the same grief path. I believe everyone will grieve differently and, also, each person will find different things helpful in coping. However, if I can share my story and experience, others may at the very least find hope that if I could get through, then they can too.

“After you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you” (1 Peter 5:10).

It’s been so nice to chat today. Let’s keep in touch, okay?

Michelle and her family enjoy hiking mountains and trails together. She is currently writing a series  called, What Growing Up in a Mennonite Family of 10 Taught Me About Survival. To receive the bi-weekly tips, visit this link and subscribe.