God is God and I am Not by Marnie Pohlmann

"In the beginning, God created the Heavens and the Earth.”  

This introduction to God in Genesis 1:1 speaks volumes about who God is. We see how very big God is – he is before time and he is outside of space, even space we have not yet discovered! What strikes me most, though, is this first description of God’s character.

God is creative.

God spoke our world into being.  Can you imagine how much fun God had making our world?
His panoramic vistas take our breath away.
The breeze blows invigorating scents from a myriad of flowers to captivate our attention.
The instincts of “The Cat that Walked by Himself” (Rudyard Kipling) or the antics of monkeys give us hours of enjoyment.  
God used words to create all we enjoy. When God declared, “It is good,” I believe he was expressing not only his pleasure at what he created but also his pleasure in creating. 

Scripture has many passages that tell us about God’s character, and what characteristics we can develop to be more Christ-like. God says, “Be holy as I am holy.” When I read those lists, I have to admit, the closer I feel to God the farther away I realize I truly am. Developing the character of Christ is difficult! 

However, when I write, I feel at least one godly characteristic is alive in me – the creative character of God, and I feel his pleasure in the creating. Even when what I write does not seem to be of any value, or needs more editing than the energy I want to give, I still find contentment in my efforts. Time and space limit my words, but when I leave my desk from a period of writing, I leave with a sense of accomplishment, because I feel connected to God when I write.

For some of us, the call to write is strong even though we may fight that call and leave our writing in pursuit of other activities. When we are obedient to that call we feel God’s approval. Yet approval may not be the same as pleasure. God’s pleasure in us is not based on any action we take, but is fully encompassed in who He is. 

I am reminded of the Casting Crowns song, “Who Am I?” that states in the chorus,

“Not because of who I am

But because of what You’ve done;

Not because of what I’ve done

But because of who You are.”

God takes pleasure in me not because of what I do or do not do, but just because I am. He created me, from my innermost being, and he sees as beautiful even the foibles that make me so unique. His creation of me is “very good,” as he stated when he created mankind. Yes, God knows me with all my faults, yet he still really does take pleasure in me, and enjoys spending time with me.

When I write, I feel God’s pleasure. 
When I don’t write, I also feel God’s pleasure. 
I am able to feel God’s pleasure because God is God and I am not.

God takes pleasure in you, too!

Photo credits:  

watch, flowers - pixel.com 

writing paper - kaboompics.com

Song:  Who Am I - https://www.castingcrowns.com/music/lyrics/who-am-i 

Book:  The Cat That Walked By Himself by Rudyard Kipling - http://www.amazon.ca

Feeling God’s Pleasure When We Write by Loretta Bouillon

The theme of this month’s blog post is to encourage someone who is discouraged and needs to feel God’s pleasure through the written word. For me, with my writing, I find it difficult to write anything in times of discouragement other than lamenting and crying out to God in my journal. When life is tough and I am struggling, often it is hard to find joy in writing, period.

“This too shall pass”….where does that saying come from? Hmnnnn, let me google it---"This too shall pass" , is an adage indicating that all material conditions, positive or negative, are temporary. The phrase seems to have originated in the writings of the medieval Persian Sufi poets, and is often attached to a fable of a great king who is humbled by the simple words. Some versions of the fable, beginning with that of Attar of Nishapur, add the detail that the phrase is inscribed on a ring, which has the ability to make the happy man sad and the sad man happy. The adage and associated fable were popular in the first half of the 19th century, appearing in a collection of tales by the English poet Edward Fitzgerald and being employed in a speech by Abraham Lincoln before he became president.” (Wikipedia)

So, in a nutshell, positive or negative conditions are temporary. Circumstances and human emotions (which are often dependent on circumstances) are always in flux. As Christians, we know this: God is constant, He is there and He wants us to lean on Him. By leaning on Him, He will raise us above our circumstances.

Communing with God brings Him pleasure which in turn brings us pleasure. In difficult times when I force myself to write and I put  unrealistic deadlines on myself, my pleasure in the craft dissipates. The spark fizzles out and there is no joy in it. So what I am learning is this: I give myself a break and just talk to God through my pen. Through this written conversation with God, it breaks through the fog of disillusionment, it brings clarity, it brings pleasure to my heart.  His pleasure.  His peace.

https://lorettabouillon.wordpress.com/

A Delighted Gasp – Ramona Heikel

I can think of two occasions when my mind was flooded with unusual inspiration, with exceptional story ideas.  Words flowed; bright, engaging words.  I wrote as much as I could as fast as I could, and those first drafts were some of the best work I’ve ever done.  One piece was accepted by the first publisher I sent it to and the second one—coincidentally—I am submitting to a publisher today (fingers crossed!).

Not long ago I found the DVD of Chariots of Fire at a thrift store and watched this great movie again.  Like Eric Liddell, I too feel God’s pleasure when I run (although I don’t run much anymore!).  The way I feel when I run fast and strong is the same way I feel when I write with unexpected inspiration, ease and excellence.  It is one reason I am sure that God is the one behind my love of writing and whatever talent I have.

It’s not just the feeling when an extraordinary idea comes to me, it’s the joy—and even laughter and tears—that come with it.  It’s the smile on my face or in my heart that remains through the whole piece.  It’s the feeling of unchallenged confidence that this work is a precious gift I am giving to the world. 

The word “inspire” in medicine means “to draw in breath”.  Perhaps I’m hearing the delighted (or amused?) gasp of a Father as he reacts to his child's writing!

I don’t think a person can try to have these moments of feeling God’s pleasure.  I'm pretty sure they are gifts, not something earned by putting in the hours and meeting the word quotas.  What makes them so moving is that they are a surprise—they come out of no where—and all we can do is pick up pen and paper to record the words we’ve been given.

Who knows?  Maybe they come as reminders that all of our best writing actually comes from God’s spirit; and we tap into that spirit by choosing more often to set aside our human inventions, techniques and advice, in favor of spending some quiet moments drawing close to God.

Posted by Ramona

www.happilywriting.com

Photo Credit: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3AEric_Liddell.jpg

There is fascinating information on Wikipedia and other websites about Eric Liddell, describing his life of Christian service, and his last days which were spent humbly doing whatever good he could, in an internment camp in China.