What's Your Touchstone? by Lorrie Orr

 

Last week my 12-year-old granddaughter wanted to sew a new pencil case for school. She looked at Pinterest and pinned a selection of ideas to consider. One triangular-shaped case appealed to her, so I downloaded the pattern. Nope, that wouldn't work; the opening was too narrow. Next, another on-line pattern. She cut and stitched and we both decided it was a silly pattern. Another one abandoned. We attempted another on-line pattern. With some revision, this one worked. Sadie was so pleased to finally have a successful project. But how much better it would have been if we could have evaluated the patterns without trying them out first. A two-hour project turned into most of the day.

Our prehistoric ancestors used what they found in the earth to help them survive life. Flint, gold, and copper were made into tools, jewelry, and later, coins. It didn’t take too long before wily traders figured out how to forge coins, making them with a veneer of gold, silver, or copper covering less worthwhile minerals. Real or fake? This became the question for shopkeepers and customers.

The solution – drawing a line with a dubious piece of metal on a flat dark stone, often made of jasper or slate to create a mark to compare to a line made by a known coin. Different metals and different purities make distinctly different marks. These flat dark stones became known as touchstones, and are still used today to test metal purity in some applications. The word touchstone evolved over time to become a “test or criterion to determine the quality of a thing, and later to refer to a fundamental or quintessential part or feature of something.” (Merriam Webster)

How does a writer evaluate her own writing and reading? Grammar, diction, flow, storyline, structure, and more are all things a writer must think about. But when it comes to the content, the things I want to write about, what standard do I use? What is my touchstone for choosing which words to write?

For me, Paul’s words to the Philippians, “Finally brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable – if there is any moral excellence and if there is anything praiseworthy – dwell on these things” are my touchstone.

I'm currently on the second draft of my memoir of our years in Ecuador. Every day I think, "shall I include this or leave it out?" I do not want to sugarcoat life, nor do I want to dwell on the dark times. I must ask myself, "Will reading this experience draw someone to Jesus or away from him?" "Is there grace?" When the subject matter is difficult or even ugly, I can write with sensitivity trusting the Holy Spirit to reveal the truth and the moral excellence I want to convey to readers longing for light in a dark world. I am so very thankful that God leads me to the light, to redemption, and to grace. I want my words to do the same for others.

Lorrie Orr writes from Vancouver Island where she loves spending time with her five grandchildren. She enjoys sewing, gardening, and reading. Traveling with her husband is fun to do now that we are both retired.