Interruptions - the Real Substance by Joy Bailey

I'm bad with interruptions, but I'm trying to do better. I'm trying to be ... less annoyed. 

I'm convinced it gets easier once one has grandchildren. 

My grandchildren don't live near me so when they video-call, I drop everything to see their sweet faces, to read them a book, or to chat about the new bandaid on their eyebrow. 

There is little else I will accept as an interruption, but I'm working on that.

****

A few people have quoted C.S. Lewis this month on the blog. However, I keep thinking about an interview I saw with Lewis's stepson, Douglas Gresham. In the interview Gresham describes what it was like to live with C.S. Lewis. About nine and a half minutes in, interviewer Derick Bingham asks, "Was he hard to live with while he was writing?"

Douglas Gresham doesn't hesitate even slightly when he answers, "Not at all. He was the opposite. Jack was someone who would accept interruption, every ten minutes, if necessary, while he was working very hard at a book or something, without the slightest degree of irritation. He was able to believe, and to behave as if he believed, which he did, that our own personal work is nowhere near as important as the interruptions to it. The interruptions are the real substance of God's job for us."  

I find this remarkable. It's one thing to write a memorable comment that people quote decades later in a writing blog, and something else entirely to have lived it. Extraordinary.

*****

This week I haven't been interrupted by any grandchild video calls at all, because I've been hanging out with them in person! In fact, the only interruption to our fun was the deadline for this blog post, which I almost completely forgot about until the last minute. Real life can be annoying sometimes. 😄  

~ Find the full interview with Douglas Gresham here. ~

Joy is writing from a lovely home in Saskatchewan, where she's been painting princesses, filling small dump trucks with sticks & leaves, and building forts out of throw pillows. Find more of her joy-infused view of the world at Scraps of Joy.  

When You Encounter Interruptions by Sandi Somers

Interruptions stop us...

We’re all familiar with interruptions.

They may be small interruptions: a phone call or text message or visitor at our door while we're trying to write. A friend who wants our attention when we’re busy. Someone who interjects their own opinions while we’re speaking. These interruptions can detract us from the focus/task at hand.

Interruptions may be of intermediate seriousness. This summer I was mentally drained from taking writing courses with their demands of weekly assignments, longer essays, and lots of reading. So from May to August I couldn’t write. The ideas didn’t come. Sometimes I felt I had lost four months of writing time.

However, major, life-changing interruptions out of our control can rock our world —and shatter our daily life, our hopes, and dreams.

Last year Tracy Krauss spent time in the hospital with continuing health issues, and over the year she was forced to scale back her responsibilities. “Limitations are my new realities,” she wrote.

Nina Faye Morey’s life was interrupted last year when her husband passed away. “Unfortunately, it washed away all those familiar roads in my life, leaving me to tread a lonely and solitary path through the wilderness,” she wrote.

Katie Gerke, one of our occasional bloggers, has written how MS has robbed her of most of her mobility and dreams for the future. And now in the last two months, she has been in and out of the hospital, including in ICU, dealing with various health issues (but not Covid so far). Over her years with MS, she has dealt with debilitating pain and weariness, isolation, and sometimes overwhelming sadness.

When we are interrupted, we may at first be disoriented. Bewildered. Angry. What we thought were our next plans have been halted; something or someone we love is lost with nothing to replace it, nowhere to go.

“The major problem of life is learning how to handle the costly interruptions,” wrote Martin Luther King. “The door that slams shut, the plan that got sidetracked, the marriage that failed. Or that lovely poem that didn’t get written because someone knocked on the door.”

Yet often these are God's interruptions that come from His love. They come for a purpose and plan. “My whole life I have been complaining that my work was constantly interrupted until I discovered the interruptions were my work,” Henri Nouwen wrote near the end of his life.

During this time God may bring us to a place of complete dependency on Himself, a place where he shows us his tenderness. He speaks comfort, promise of his presence and rest. "I will make the Valley of Trouble a door of hope", He says (Hosea 2:15)

I learned this summer that “to everything there is a season” (Eccl 3:1). What appeared to be an interruption to my writing was an intervention. God knew I needed time to rest, to turn my attention to other things…beside writing…working in my yard and garden, taking long walks (the outdoors always rejuvenates me), catching up on visiting family and friends when Covid restrictions eased, and relaxing with God in the early morning. Finally as August progressed, I felt writing sparks began to flicker.

Tracy discovered a door of hope as she wrote: “As God continues to give me clarity about what I am to be doing right now in this stage of my life, I cannot continue to look back and long for how it used to be.” But she adds that God still has a plan and purpose for her, “I have more books to write, grandchildren to snuggle, people to encourage, and interceding to do, but perhaps not at the same pace.” 

Nina absorbed meaningful quotes on grief and thoughts from scriptures, which she shared with us. To restore some semblance of normalcy, she began to write again, also knowing that “creative activities are positive ways to cope with negative feelings and emotions.” She also looks forward to being reunited with her husband and meeting Jesus one day. 

Katie finds God’s hidden treasures as she lives with MS. She wrote that especially in her darkest days, “God shows Himself in light, so brilliant and breathtaking that I will take it and tuck it in my heart so I can use it ‘as a lamp to my feet and a light to my path’” Psalm 119:105.

“Interruptions (are) God's appointments." Debbie Macomber

And now it’s your opportunity.  

 How can you grapple with CS Lewis’ advice: “The truth is of course that what one calls the interruptions are precisely one’s real life – the life God is sending one day by day”?

How has God shown Himself to you in these interruptions?

Has your interruption turned into an opportunity—if so, how?

In the Shadow of a Bookshelf by Brenda Leyland

"Have you ever picked up a book on writing, exhilarated

to discover that the author has written just what you need to

stimulate and encourage you? Philip Yancey called these

writing masters "shadow mentors" who urge us to improve our

writing style, our thinking, and our vision."

SANDI SOMERS

As writers, we know just how often we need encouragement to bolster our crumbling nerve. Especially in those early days when we are still so unsure of ourselves, unsure of our talent—wondering if we even have any—and whether we indeed have a call on our lives and, therefore, a right to write. And, yes, Sandi, how often I have picked up a book to discover the perfect something I needed to stimulate and encourage me. Here, in this longish blog post, I have gathered six authors who have been writing mentors to me. I want to give a glimpse of how the writings of these good people have encouraged and inspired me, albeit in the shadow of a bookshelf, throughout my writing journey. There are so many more I could include.

 

"Read all the good books you can..."

C.S. LEWIS

Long before I dreamed of being a writer, I read C.S. Lewis. I was drawn to this man's gentle approach to life. I was drawn to the fact that he lived in Oxford, was a scholar, a Christian believer, and an author. I read everything I could find of his work, including his volumes of published letters. My now vintage commonplace notebook is filled with words of wisdom from this man, including the advice he freely gave aspiring writers who wrote to him. One such word stood out for me: read all the good books you can. It was a seed planted and amazingly watered over the years by many other successful authors advising young writers to read, read, read. I embraced this advice wholeheartedly; my path was set.

"Don't be led away by those howls of realism. Remember—pine woods

are just as real as pigsties and a darn sight pleasanter to be in."

L.M. MONTGOMERY

There are so many things I could share here about what I have learned from L.M. Montgomery. Looking back, she was a shining star—a mentor from afar—for most of my life. She taught me to appreciate the joy and beauty of the world around me, regardless of happy or unhappy circumstances. I shall always remember sitting with pen and paper in hand, trying to capture something of the twilight beauty of a long-ago summer evening. I had hoped to emulate Ms. Montgomery, for by then I was captivated with her ability to bring something of the beautiful to everything she wrote.

We live in an upside-down world where beauty and goodness are often forgotten, hidden behind misery and meanness, tragedy and trauma. Some people say, well that's life, that's the reality. Of course, we know sadness, cruelty and ugliness are real, but I have so often pondered why these should carry more weight than the reality of love and beauty and kindness. Mr. Carpenter, Emily's schoolteacher in one of the Emily novels by Ms Montgomery, entreated the aspiring authoress not to heed her critics but to press forward and continue to write from that place of beauty she saw in her own mind. He told Emily, "Don't be led away by those howls of realism. Remember—pine woods are just as real as pigsties and a darn sight pleasanter to be in."

The essence of those words became a touchstone. No matter what was going on in the world around me, Mr. Carpenter's wise words, through the pen of L.M. Montgomery, fixed my focus on how I wanted to write. You see, they matched those lines I love in Philippians: whatever is lovely and of good report, think (write) on these things.

"Today, in a world where we pride ourselves on our efficiency

and practicality, there is still precious time to cherish quality

and savor the splendor and charm of the more enduring things

in our lives—a return to loveliness, if you will."

THE EDITORS, VICTORIA, PREMIER ISSUE, 1987 

 

I cannot write about shadow mentors and not mention, not so much an author, but rather an influence that has also overshadowed everything I have ever written: the original Victoria magazine under the direction of former editor Nancy Lindemeyer. From the premier issue in 1987, I knew my heart found what it had been longing for in my young life. Here was a magazine that spoke to the softer, gentler side of life. It celebrated the creativity of women who followed their dreams. It recognized the intrinsic value of and need for beauty in our lives.

Two lovely blog followers recently contacted me to say that my style of writing happily reminds them of the Victoria magazine. Seriously? Oh, my goodness! "Reading your blog this morning made me realize that you have become my gentle moments of Victoria magazine. I spent many cherished moments with Victoria magazine and have missed the peace and grace it brought. I'm grateful to have you in my life to take me back to those treasured memories." I am in awe and deep gratitude. In the early days of my writing, I had so longed to be able to make words sing beautifully—just like the women who wrote those lovely articles in the magazine—never ever dreaming I might one day find some measure of success. I am so grateful to the Lord for the privilege to follow my heart in this way.

"As humans, we all have the right to make art.

We all have the right to write."

JULIA CAMERON

My husband's aunt introduced me years ago to The Right to Write by Julia Cameron. A godsend. What a stroke of genius to have those words right in the title. You see, for whatever odd reason, I needed permission to write; I needed to know that I had a right to write. That it wasn’t just for folks who knew they were destined to write since they were five years old....being the late bloomer that I am. I loved Julia’s words of affirmation when she said that as humans, we all have the right to make art. We all have the right to write. And with those words ringing in my ear, I had the courage to step out into my destiny.

This book introduced me to Julia's personal writing tools, tools I found helpful in my early writing days: Morning Pages (three pages of stream of consciousness writing first thing every morning); Narrative Time Line (writing out the story of your life in five-year intervals, from birth to present); and Artist Dates (making dates with yourself as a way to devote time to your creative self, such as walking in nature or visiting an art supply store or museum—anything you find creative and enjoyable.)

"At last I understood that writing was this: an impulse to share

with other people a feeling or truth that I myself had."

BRENDA UELAND

I knew from the outset that Brenda Ueland’s book If You Want to Write was another godsend to me. It came into my life in 2008, around the same time I started blogging, and it was a book I would reach for over and over. Because Ms. Ueland was so confident in her belief that "everyone is talented, original and has something important to say", I felt compelled to believe her for myself.

Brenda Ueland realized writing was, for her, an impulse to share with other people a feeling or truth that she herself had experienced. She used a little story about Vincent Van Gogh to illustrate, and it resonated with me. As a young man in his early twenties, Van Gogh was

"in London studying to be a clergyman. He had no thought of being an artist at all. He sat in his cheap little room writing a letter to his younger brother in Holland, whom he loved very much. He looked out his window at a watery twilight, a thin lamp post, a star, and he said in his letter something like this: It is so beautiful I must show you how it looks. And then on his cheap ruled notepaper, he made the most beautiful, tender, little drawing of it."

Like the artist himself, I yearned to share the beauty I experienced with those around me. While the artist took up his brush to express what he saw, I took up my pen. And so I write to inspire, to encourage, and give joy. All with the hopeful desire that my readers will look around, see the beauty, and learn to live with a measure of joy because they, too, have caught glimpses of heaven in unexpected places here on earth.

 

 

"If God has given you a dream, you'd better get cracking

because He wants you to use it. That's why He gives

them to us in the first place."

JAN KARON

I cannot close without mentioning Jan Karon, creator of the beloved Mitford novels. Years ago, I found her photo online and downloaded it to my desktop. Whenever I turned on my computer, there she'd be smiling at me, this woman who dared to believe a dream God had given her. 

Not only have I delighted in her novels, but I have taken courage from her own story of how she, at age 50, left a successful career in advertising and moved to a small town, so she could finally be a novelist. Not that I left a job to take up writing, not that I had any dream to write a novel, but I felt something of her courage as she stepped out later in life, trusting God, to follow her dream. Today we see Jan as a successful New York Times bestselling novelist, but her writing journey to get there had many discouraging setbacks. For two years, she struggled to find a suitable idea for a novel, and then when she had that breakthrough at last, it took a couple years to find a willing publisher. Through it all, she'd learned to lean into God, trusting that He was there in the midst. Seeing this beautiful author on my screen every morning during those early years of my own writing journey helped me to keep the faith, just as she had done.

* * *

I am grateful for these authors, just a few who have been a part of my personal mentoring team on a bookshelf, ever reminding me that I am not alone, cheering me on, offering their expertise, and always inviting me to join them in sharing the gift of beautiful words with our world.

Photo credit for top: Image by 9883074 from Pixabay

Photo credits for C.S. Lewis, L.M. Montgomery, Jan Karon: Unknown

A long-time InScribe member, Brenda writes from her home in Alberta, Canada. She works away on her memoir projects and shares her love of the beautiful in everyday life with readers at It's A Beautiful Life and on Facebook. 

Shifting from the Kitchen to the Living Room by Sharon Espeseth

Getting out of the kitchen

Jesus statement struck close to me.

Like Martha, I've spent a lot of time in the kitchen of my life. I still cook, clean and help those around me, but I am spending more time for the living room. I can still love and serve beside Martha, but I now strive to relax, read, learn, play, spend time with my family and also  at Jesus' feet. Mary is already in the living room adoring Jesus.

Being a perfectionist, I empathized with Martha. I felt for her when Jesus said, "Martha, you are bothered about many things. Mary has chosen the better part and it will not be taken away from her."







Comfortable or exhausted?

Striving to be the model homemaker, mother and wife, plus being a dedicated teacher, Christian, parishioner, daughter, sister, and friend was exhausting. I was so used to operating  on all eight cylinders that it seemed normal. How would I keep up if I slowed down?

In the mid nineties, my over-achieving efforts brought me to a halt. Knowing my life was wobbling like a table with a short leg, I began seeing a counsellor. Still l limped on in the classroom and at home without giving myself the attention I needed.

By mid-February, I had a total breakdown. My family doctor and my psychologist put me on anti-depressants and booked me off work. I didn't return to teaching until September.

When comfort zones become uncomfortable

This book was a life-changer for me.

Changing my ways became crucial. Counselling sessions, meds, journalling, long walks, listening more carefully to my husband's advice, praying, reading my Bible and other good books became the new order of my day.

In the Bible we are reminded often to seek rest. "Come to me, all you who are weary," Jesus tells us.  The Lord invites us to share the yoke with him. He will even make us lie down in green pastures.

Recent struggles

Recently while struggling to finish the jobs I had piled up in my kitchen, I felt God nudging me to unload some of it, but I had excuses.

I had co-led a church committee for more than a decade, but now I felt prompted to let this go. I could feel God showing me the way, but I couldn't let go of it without tidying the details. Not feeling up to the task, I "sat" on it.

God delivers his message


While  driving to the city in late March, the Norwegian and I observed the signs of spring. While
Hank drove, I watched a long string of geese flying beside us. Craning my neck as far as possible, I said, "I wonder why they aren't getting into V-formation." Just when my neck could turn no further, I saw a few front geese break the line. Knowing they were going to manage without my supervision, I turned my attention back to my journal writing.

Canada geese deliver message

Epiphany. That's what I need to do with my committee position. When we got home that evening, I phoned the friend I'd been planning to ask about my committee job. Without hesitation, Theresa agreed. I explained that certain details needed updating, but that I didn't feel up to doing it.

"That's okay, Theresa said." She didn't type, but she would ask the church secretary to do that. I felt like a heavy chunk of ice had slid off my shoulder. "Did God already have this lady lined up for the job?"

With one less responsibility, I hope to spend more time resting in green pastures, talking things over with God, and writing.

The geese incident had shown me how prideful I was not to pass on this job unless it was in perfect shape. Just as I knew the geese would manage on their own, I realized that Theresa, whose name God had whispered in my ear, would manage this job without my help.

What about comfort zones?

I love what you are saying, Sandi Somers: that God created each of us in a particular way and for a particular purpose. We are called to spread the gospel. We can do this through our writing, our living and our loving.

The Father also knows our limits.

I may never write the next great Canadian novel or set the world on fire spiritually, but I will do the best I can with the time I have left. I appreciate this quote by C. S. Lewis.

"God knows our situation; He will not judge us as if we had no difficulties to overcome. What matters is the sincerity and perseverance of our will to overcome them." 

This then reminds me of Paul's words to the Christians in Ephesus.

"For by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this is not of yourselves, it is the gift of God--not of works, so that no one can boast.
Setting my priorities

When it gets too hot in the kitchen, I can move to the living room. I will do the best I can each day in evsetting my priorities. You may remember the video, A Valuable Lesson for a Happier Life by Meir Kay. With minor changes, I could mentally rename this video A Valuable Lesson for a More Faith-filled Life.

https://www.youtubecom/watch?v=SqGRnlXplx0

For me, the golf balls would still represent the important things: family, friends, health, faith and passions. I added faith to Mr. Kay's list, as that would be, or at least should be, my biggest passion. Writing is inferred as another big passion.

Put the golf balls in first.

For new comfort zones in writing, the genre doesn't matter as much as the fact that I write. I do, however, need to write and submit more for publication, even when I am timid about doing this.

I can do this from the living room, our deck, or the boat launch at the lake. I just need to honour the golf balls in my life.

Thanks to God by Sharon Espeseth

You may recall that in June 2014 my husband and I downsized and sold our dream home. We continued to downsize while living in a rental place that didn't suit us. During that period, my husband had a mini stroke, and I had a bout of depression. This June we downsized further and moved into a half duplex that is peaceful and more suitable for us. During the actual move, Hank was hospitalized, but our kids moved us anyway. Hank came home to our new place that seemed calm in comparison to our previous manor.






Recently, Ruth Snyder, president and fellow InScriber, created a poster of a few verses from Psalm 107. This chapter begins with, "Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever." The Psalmist admonishes those who have been redeemed by the Lord from the hand of the foe to tell their story.

For about the next 25 verses of this chapter, we read of people enduring tribulations, storms, and illness. We see the Lord come to their rescue and they are encouraged to give thanks. In verse 28, we read, ". . . They cried out to the Lord in their trouble and he brought them out of their distress."

Hank and I had called out to God, and we believe he delivered from a stressful situation. I had faith that we would find the right place. Our neighbours, rather new friends brought us a copy of an online ad for this duplex. Things started falling into place.

Further in Psalms 107, we read, "(God) had stilled the storm to a whisper; the waves of the sea were hushed. They were glad when it grew calm, and he guided them to their desired haven." For the present and near future, this home will be our "desired haven."

Our half duplex, only two-years old, is right for us. Our new home requires less work and upkeep. Hank and I feel more at home, and I am comfortable writing here. Not everything is in perfect order yet, but we are thankful to have landed well. As the Psalmist continues, "Let (us) give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for (us)."

A couple months back, InScribe bloggers were discussing a report on our summer writing. For accountability purposes, I can say I have done the following writerly activities--

1.  keeping up with my InScribe blog.

2.  trying 25-minute writing sessions with some success.

Writing for 25 minutes

3.  enjoying morning writing sessions with a writing friend at the lake

4.  daily Bible readings and devotions

5.  reading and commenting on InScribe Writers Online

6.  entering a few Word Challenges. (Thank you, Glynis Belec.)

7.  submitting to a few contests. Just when I thought I had lost my writing flow, I was awarded
     first in the InScribe Fall Contest in Creative Non-fiction. I am thankful for the great
     encouragement this award brought me after a dry spell.

8.  reading books that survived downsizing

9.  editing for a writing friend and a family member who is working on her master's degree

10.  attending InScribe Fall Conference


C. S. Lewis has said, "Faith is the art of holding onto things in spite of your changing mood and circumstances." With God's help and grace, I'm trying to relinquish control and trust God even in the tough times.

Saint Pius of Pietrelcina says, "You ought to ask our Lord for just one thing: to love him. All the rest should be thanksgiving."

The old Swedish hymn, "Tack, O Gud," has always been part of my life. Here is a YouTube English version of the song, www.youtube.com/watch?v=vdkzqL4GV_goriginally written in Swedish by August Ludvig Storm in 1891. This man's expression of faith is still valid today.

Strange Creatures, a Tollbooth, a Rabbi and a Lion by Connie Inglis

My creative journey started with my attraction to strange creatures--the fantastical. I have no recollection of when that attraction began, but I do think Dr. Seuss fed that creative spirit in me. I guess I always thought that everyone's imaginations ran wild when reading about a zizzer-zazzer-zuzz and a fiffer-feffer-feff. Mine certainly did and it led me to my first writing at 10 years old about a little martian that lived with strange creatures on Mars, complete with illustrations.

Without encouragement, however, I forgot my writing until grade 7. That's when my English teacher realized my interests and suggested I read, The Phantom Tollbooth, by Norton Juster.  I LOVED this book. It re-lit the joy of reading in me, reminding me that writers still write fairy tales and other-world adventures for young adults and adults. This teacher also loosed the poet in me and affirmed my first real poetry writings. I thank that teacher for spurring me on.

Teacher inspiration continued in high school as my eyes were opened to Shakespeare, Tennyson, Browning. So I learned to appreciate not just innovative prose but deep, spiritual poetry as well. One of my favourites was a poem by Robert Browning called, "Rabbi Ben Ezra," my favourite stanza being the following:

Grow old along with me!

The best is yet to be,

The last of life, for which the first was made:

Our times are in His hand

Who saith "A whole I planned,

Youth shows but half; trust God: see all, nor be afraid!''

What encouraged me was to see the religious themes of these authors and the central role God played in their writings. I was insecure in my writing but these writers made me just a little bit bolder in writing about my faith.

Then a friend introduced me to The Chronicles of Narnia series by C. S. Lewis. Until that time I was not familiar with Christian allegory, but after that I could not get enough: Calvin Miller's trilogy, J. R. R. Tolkien's works, G. K. Chesterton's works, Lewis' Science Fiction trilogy. From there I became more aware of Christian themes and Biblical references and would look for them as I read. I found them everywhere--in Dostoevsky, in Steinbeck, in Goethe, in Emily Dickinson, even in T. S. Eliot.

What I was struck with in all this literature is the prevalence of God. He desires to break through to a hurting world in bold ways and in subdued ways and He does it in mysterious ways. I realized that He can use me too, if I am willing to listen to His still, small voice.

I look back on my life and see not just one person but many people, not just one author but many authors, who influenced my writing direction. It humbles me because it reminds me that God cares about me and is alive and active in my little life. And it spurs me on to write words of hope and grace and goodness, sometimes in obvious ways, sometimes in subtle ways, but always for His glory.

Photo by Tammy Derksen Carlson

Sehnsucht by Connie Inglis

A few weeks ago, when I initially pondered the question posed for this month, I thought of some noble reasons for my purpose in writing. But when I really searched my soul I realized that my main reason wasn't lofty at all. The green-eyed monster of jealousy was gnawing on my heart and mind--that desire to be recognized like some of you have been recently--that desire for my readers to pat me on the back and say, "Well done" or, "Wow. You are talented." It was all about me. Ugh! I thought I had dealt with those feelings when I started to take my writing more seriously. So I was not only feeling "ugh" but also ugly. I had to go to the foot of the cross and confess that selfish junk to Jesus once again.

The Holy Spirit brings sin to mind but the beauty is that once it is confessed, He brings comfort and assurance and peace. In this case, He reminded me of what I seek as a reader. I seek sehnsucht--a word I just "happened" to come across a week ago. It was an epiphany moment because it was the word I was looking for to write this blog entry.

According to other-wordly.tumblr.com, sehnsucht is "the inconsolable longing in the human heart for we know not what; a yearning for a far, familiar, non-earthly land one can identify as one's home." Ecclesiastes refers to it as, "eternity in the hearts of man." (Eccl. 3:11) God has placed a longing within the human heart to be seeking someone or something outside of the physical world we live in--a longing only He can fill. I want my writing to cause the reader to feel that longing for something more. For the believer I want them to get a fresh glimpse of God and future hope that leads them to thanksgiving. For the unbeliever, I want them to see God's goodness and grace and beauty so that it will lead them to search for God and that land He promises for them.

Sehnsucht was particularly significant to C.S. Lewis. In the afterword to the third edition of The Pilgrim's Regress he describes sehnsucht as:

"That unnameable something, desire for which pierces us like a rapier at the smell of bonfire, the sound of wild ducks flying overhead, the title of The Well at the World's End, the opening lines of "Kubla Khan", the morning cobwebs in late summer, or the noise of falling waves."
 

I think you all know what he's talking about. Maybe that's why his works lead the reader to sehnsucht, at least they do for me. I'm not just referring to his theological books. It's The Chronicles of Narnia, his Space Trilogy and his allegorical works that speak more deeply to my heart and soul; they call me to that "other" world, proving that the Christian message doesn't need to be blatantly stated to move a person.
 
In his book, The Ragamuffin Gospel, Brennan Manning put it this way:

“Grace abounds in contemporary movies, books, novels, films and music. If God is not in the whirlwind, He may be in a Woody Allen film, or a Bruce Springsteen concert. Most people understand imagery and symbol better than doctrine and dogma. Images touch hearts and awaken imaginations."

I agree with Manning, especially when it comes to music. I can worship God as much through a song by The Who or Leonard Cohen as a song by Chris Tomlin. There is something "other-worldly" about music. It beckons us to seek the Creator of the universe.

Yesterday I was driving home to Edmonton from Calgary. I was listening to Gungor's, "Ghosts upon the Earth" album. I find that sole road trips, with just me and my music, lead me to sehnsucht. This whole album did that for me. I was overwhelmed with thanksgiving to God and I worshiped Him. That is what I would like to instill in my readers--a sehnsucht that would cause them to seek and find the God of grace, goodness, love and hope and that He would be glorified.

Here is one of the songs from my road trip. It's called, "Brother Moon." I recommend the whole album. Another song I love is, "This is Not the End." It's a song about heaven. It makes me dance!