Have you ever read someone’s story and thought, “That’s exactly what I needed to read”? Your writing will do that for someone else. Affirmation for what we write is like gold, but it’s the comments about how timely the content is for a reader that inspire us the most.
“This was exactly what I needed to hear to start my day! Thank you!”
“This is definitely what I needed to read today… absorb it and now live it.”
“Just what I needed to hear this morning to strengthen me and know beyond any doubt that God has me.”
“You don’t know how much I needed to read that today.”
Timing is Everything
Timely words - the right words at the right time - are a gift from God. Inspired words can be most inspiring when truth meets need.
Amy Rees Anderson is an author and a highly sought after keynote speaker and a frequent lecturer on college campuses. She posted this prayer on her blog on June 13th with the comment: Hopefully one of you reading this will find this poem to have exactly the words you needed to hear at exactly the time you needed to hear it too.
The Knot Prayer
Dear God:
Please untie the knots
that are in my mind,
my heart and my life.
Remove the have
nots,
the can nots and the do nots
that I have in my mind.
Erase the will
nots,
may nots,
might nots that may find
a home in my heart.
Release me from
the could nots,
would nots and
should nots that obstruct my life.
And most of all,
Dear God,
I ask that you remove from my mind,
my heart and my life all of the ‘am
nots’
that I have allowed to hold me back,
especially the thought
that I am not good enough.
AMEN
-unknown
The beauty of a book or blog or archived content on the web is that people can access it from anywhere, at any time. Timeless words can become timely. The comment below resulted from the reader encountering content I published three years previous.
“I accidentally came across this article. It touches me deeply. I wanted to keep myself isolated from anyone and anything that could hurt me. I now realize I was afraid, holding myself in a mental prison because I wanted to be the peacemaker and it was taking my peace of mind. Keeping up the expectations of everyone else. I am learning how much He loves and cares for me regardless of my situation.”
I look for comments right after I post content, especially on the Inscribe Writers blog. How about you? Are you ever discouraged by a lack of immediate response from your invitation to connect or comment? I hope this post will encourage you that your writing is timely and can have a timeless effect for good.
Timely Conversations
Timeliness is not only about people engaging writing, but writers engaging people in random conversations. As you seek God for inspiration, pay attention for God’s direction.
Julia Cameron, famous for her book, The Artist’s Way, and for the practice of Morning Pages, says,
“When we seek daily spiritual
guidance, we are guided toward the next step forward for our art. Sometimes the
step is very small. Sometimes the step is, "Wait. Not now." Sometimes
the step is, "Work on something else for a while." When we are open
to Divine Guidance, we will receive it. It will come to us as timely
conversations with others.”
What content have you written that was inspired by a timely conversation? What might you encounter today that would be the creative breakthrough you are praying for?
Do you feel God’s nudge to write something today that the Spirit can use in a timely manner? What are you waiting for?
Bob and
his wife Jocelyn are both Reverends and write at www.REVwords.com
Thanks for this post, Bob. Love the poem and the reader’s response to your work. We never know when God will touch a heart through our words. Thanks for this reminder and for your question at the end, “What are you waiting for?” Good question.
ReplyDeleteThank you Sharon for being a first commenter! There IS someone else waiting to hear kind words from you.
DeleteGreat post, dear Bob. I love that poem.
ReplyDeleteSomeone recently insulted a working book title I shared with them. It stirred a desire in me to dig deeper into the word that was spoken against my title. It's now become a new direction for me as I see a need for people to be updated on a topic that shouldn't be a source of shame nor used as a derogatory term.
Good comes from bad when God's invited into the equation.
I look forward to hearing that I helped others feel less alone, experience more self-love, and receive healing acceptance because of future projects God is nudging me to share.
The least of us most need encouragement in a world that bullies invisible minorities.
Blessings.
What are great attitude and even more wonderful outcome to your experience, Wendy. I am confident you'll be hearing a lot of good feedback from readers who come across your content in a timely way.
DeleteThank you so much
ReplyDeleteAnd thank you, Aritha. Good to meet you.
DeleteBob, I love the idea of Timeless Writing. When I write, I pray that someone will be touched and even helped by the words I share. As you point out, it might not be in the timeline I expect, That takes the burden off me. My job is only to write what I've been given to write and let God work out the timing. Thanks for this!
ReplyDeleteAnd I am sure the Lord has answered your prayer many times, Joy.
DeleteThank you for your commitment to write here on the blog. I often find that what others have written is exactly what was needed that day... This post is spot on in that regard. Many blessings, Bob.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Tracy. It's always a good day when we get to connect.
DeleteThank you, Bob. It's always lovely to know when words I've written have touched someone's heart. I always appreciate knowing. And it's equally lovely to read words that touch me. Like this post. As I seek God's guidance, He will lead me to write and speak words that honour him and encourage others.
ReplyDeleteWe write because we must and we write to be read. When readers gain something from our writing that is a bonus. Thank you for writing, Lorrie!
Delete