“Lord Have Mercy” by Alan Anderson

 

“Love sinners, but hate their deeds, and do not disdain sinners for their failings, so that you yourself do not fall into the temptation in which they abide… Do not be angry at anyone and do not hate anyone, neither for their faith, nor for their shameful deeds… Do not foster hatred for the sinner, for we are all guilty… Hate his sins, and pray for him, so that you may be made like unto Christ, who had no dislike for sinners, but prayed for them.”

(St. Isaac the Syrian, Homily 57,90)

 

If there is ever a month of our blog posts to weep over this is the one. This theme of social justice causes me to pull within myself. I find myself overwhelmed by the fragility of people as I read our posts this month.

For decades now, my heart has grieved for the unborn. Canada’s form of barbarism is most noticeable in our country’s absence of laws on abortion. Even our politicians seem to avoid discussion in terms of the inhumanity of abortion. I am thankful I gave up trust in politicians years ago. I also grieve for Canada in the decision the Canadian government took by inflicting Medical Assistance in Dying on the country. Lord have mercy. 

Rather than go off on a tangent about Canada’s barbarism, I have decided on a different direction for this post. This month’s blog theme fills me with love for our InScribe family of writers. You all care for our world in word and deed. We walk through this theme of social justice together with hearts bonded by love.

Not too long ago, I posted a brief message on Facebook to counteract the negativity expressed on social media. Here is what I wrote. “Shh! Can you hear it? Listen. Yes, listen. Shh be still. No, don't move. Listen. Calm your heart. Sit alone. Listen. Listen. Ahh, yes, the still small voice of God amidst the confused clamor of the world.” Simple, right? This Facebook post expressed my need to slow down and listen.

The blog posts this month remind me of the tenderness God has placed on the hearts of His people. My friends, your messages are an encouragement for us to slow down and listen to your beautiful hearts. You help in this child of God being determined to love people. To love others is more of God than judging them. In my lifelong sadness over abortion and euthanasia, I cling to love and not judging people. 

Sin has damaged humanity. None of us is without sin. In Eastern Orthodox Christianity we have a saying used in a simple prayer. We ask for God’s compassion on us, “Lord have mercy.” Lord, have compassion, have mercy on those who cause injustices. Lord have mercy on victims of injustices. Lord have mercy on those of us involved in ministries of compassion. Lord have mercy on us all. 

Dear InScribe family of writers and readers, listen. Despite the confused clamor of the world, God still speaks.  Take a few minutes when you finish reading here to listen to God. 

Dear friends, writers, and readers, what have you taken away from our posts this month?

Lord have mercy. Lord have mercy. Lord have mercy. 

 

 

https://scarredjoy.ca/

Extraordinary Love by Alan Anderson

"For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life." (John 3:16, Revised Standard)


The writing prompt for July caused me to ponder a lot. Ideas of how to approach this post did not come to me like others have. With only a day to go until the date for this post, even now I ponder. Now I must write and put a message together.


Since the Covid-19 virus invaded our world I have not written too much about it. Other writers have done a superb job of offering their perspectives on an enemy none of us are familiar with.


In my May 22, 2020 post I included thoughts on the virus in my message, “Writing in the Cracks of Life.” Until now this has been the only piece I have written on this crisis. 


Since governments began to “lockdown” cities and countries because of the virus a lot has happened. The crisis has shown the evil, cruel, mean, uncivilized, and criminal side of people. This time of a worldwide pandemic has also shown the beautiful, good, and compassionate side of people.


As a Christian man, my attitude has not always been sympathetic to the experiences of people during this time. Time to be silent, to ponder (I love to ponder), to pray, to listen, and to ask a question became a need. My question, where is God in all this craziness and disruption?


The answer or, “extraordinary directions,” came through the well-known, John 3:16 passage of the Bible. God loves the world. God is in the love all around. This is never to be ignored or forgotten. While in the past months evil for a time has gone mad, God still loves people. The media played up the riots that broke out after a man was murdered. Some people seem to have used this tragedy as an excuse to show their angry and destructive side. God’s love still became clear.
 

I read an article about two buddies. One man is Black, and the other is Caucasian. Both men see beyond their colour. Instead of rioting or protesting these guys sat outside and offered to give people an opportunity to talk. They set up chairs and a cooler with beer and waited for people to drop by. All they wanted to do was care for people amidst a troubled time. They reached out to their neighbours. This is love in action.


One question in my mind and heart is this. Have we as God’s people forgotten His love for the world? Can it be when we behold the evil of the day we neglect the fact God still loves people? I wonder how our world would change if instead of being overwhelmed by it we loved the world instead.


On our own we cannot change the world. We can, however, reach out to our neighbours. The Covid-19 virus does not seem in a hurry to leave. We have time to show love to those in our part of the world. Instead of being overwhelmed we can overcome. The love of God can overcome us as we reach out to people around us.  God loves the world and so must we.


My friends, what can you do to show this extraordinary love to the world? I ask myself the same question.




https://scarredjoy.ca/

Forgiveness Sunday to Great Lent: the Journey is Worth It by Alan Anderson

“For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you (Matt. 6:14).”

My wife and I are members of an Eastern Orthodox Christian church. Our spiritual journey seeking peace, a place to belong, and a caring community, ended with our being embraced by Orthodoxy three years ago. Every step of this journey is worth it.

Eastern Orthodox Christians observe fasts all through the year. For instance, we refrain from certain foods every Wednesday and Friday. There are also Communion fasts which means we abstain from food after dinner Saturday evening or midnight (whatever comes first) until we receive the Eucharist at Sunday liturgy.

Great Lent

Great Lent is the most important fast in Eastern Orthodoxy. Great Lent leads into Holy Week then Pascha (Eastern Orthodox Easter). This year Great Lent began on March 2 and Pascha is April 19. Pascha is the most important celebration of the year.

Here is what one of our Orthodox Bishops notes about Great Lent.

"As with our whole life in Christ, this Lenten journey will not be without difficulties. Spiritual health is like physical health, requiring a paced effort, with love, patience, and forgiveness – for self and for others – allowing God to work within us, transforming us into the Body of Christ. The Church offers us the Great Fast as a period of sobriety, wherein we focus on an internal change of heart, bearing fruit in our external actions with those around us. Indeed, the promise of the Resurrection enables us to call brothers even those that hate us, forgiving and loving others regardless of what they may have done, or not done.” --- Tikhon, Archbishop of Washington, Metropolitan of All America and Canada

Forgiveness is central to Great Lent.

On the last Sunday before Great Lent, Eastern Orthodox believers participate in, Forgiveness Sunday. This is one of the most beautiful and meaningful gatherings of the year. Eastern Orthodox churches all over the world take part in Forgiveness Sunday.

This is how our church participates in Forgiveness Sunday. After our Sunday morning liturgy (church service) the congregation has lunch together, just like every Sunday. The difference from other weeks is when lunch is over we all head back into the Nave (where church services are held) for a brief vespers time. After vespers and beginning with our priest he stand in front of the congregation and asks forgiveness of them. Each member of the congregation then asks the others, one by one, for forgiveness. The wording we use is, “forgive me brother/sister” The other person responds “God forgives and I forgive.”

My first Forgiveness Sunday felt foreign and somewhat uncomfortable to me. I now look forward to this significant day of the Orthodox calendar. Forgiveness Sunday offers a unique and beautiful preparation for Great Lent.

Through Forgiveness Sunday the Christian is reminded not only of one’s sin but also that sins can be forgiven. As Orthodox Christians we are on a spiritual journey and recognize we do not journey alone. From Forgiveness Sunday all the way to joyous Pascha includes a time of self-examination, fasting and giving to people.

Great Lent allows Christians a time to reflect on Christ’s death for us. The season includes a sense of sadness where we recognize we may have lost relationship with God. During Great Lent we also recognize a recovery of this relationship is needed and is indeed possible. Although a spiritual darkness resides in Great Lent, God’s Holy Spirit works in our hearts and leads us to the brilliance of the Resurrection. The time of self-reflection and examination although at times painful, is worth it.

https://alananderson.ca

or

 https://scarredjoy.ca/

Charlie, the Birds, and Poetry by Alan Anderson

“So out of the ground the Lord God formed every beast of the field and every bird of the air, and brought them to the man to see what he would call them; and whatever the man called every living creature, that was its name.”-- Genesis 2:19-20.


I can often demand a lot of myself. I’ve realized this through the years. As I become closer to being an almost old guy, I am also aware of my need to slow things down. I gave readers an idea of this in my January 2020 post. Remember?


2019 goes down in my life history as a drain on my emotions and health. I couldn’t concentrate well enough to write or read for long. I bemoaned perhaps my writing days had ended.


In an endeavour to slow my life down and focus again God drew my attention to creatures familiar to me. These creatures are Charlie and the birds. Charlie is the poodle my wife, and I brought into our family a few years ago. The birds are those I see every day outside our home. They come for the food I leave for them in the bird feeder. I don’t know all the various types that hang around, but they are all welcome.

Charlie is like my shadow. He always seems to be with me. He loves to go for walks on the dike with my wife and I. He sniffs the air and stops every so often to mark his territory. We know it isn’t all his territory but we don’t have the heart to tell him. He loves being with us and we love being with Charlie.


One day, first thing in the morning, I got up to let Charlie out to perform his morning ritual. When I opened the porch door to let him out, I noticed one of the bird feeders was empty. The air was cool and frost lay on the grass. I walked the few steps to the feeder and replenished the bird food.


An hour or two later, I went out to the porch again. I noticed the birds enjoying their brunch. The menu comprised a variety of birdseed and a suet block. 


Charlie and the birds are great therapists. My mind relaxed after several times sitting on the porch with Charlie as we watched the birds. I could sense and almost feel words in my mind. The words ached to get on to a page. I once again had the driven desire to write.


My rejuvenated desire to write came in the form of poetry. This also came as a surprise to me. I never thought I would write poetry. After writing a few poems and revising them, I discovered I love to write poetry. For me, writing poems is also therapeutic. Each word is meaningful as I bring a new poem to life. I can almost feel my brain relaxing as I write. The poems are like a healing tonic for my mind. 

Charlie and I watch the birds from our porch almost everyday now. Most times when we arrive home from our walk we say hello to the birds. I must admit, however, as soon as they see us they fly away. When that happens Charlie and I stand on the porch with the door closed. A minute or two later the birds return and resume their meal.


God has given us creatures like Charlie and birds to relax and rejuvenate us. My friends take the time to love and cherish these beautiful creatures. Our hearts and minds will be all the better for it. Our sense of wonder will soar and our creativity will be free again.

https://scarredjoy.ca/

Through These Words by Alan Anderson

 

“You shall remember all the way which Yahweh your God has led you” (Deuteronomy 8:2)

My writing has always been a companion for my soul. This is most prevalent in my times of sorrow or loneliness and life-changing upheavals. Writing also witnesses my periods of joy and excitement as life moves on. The words I write help me express what my heart longs to say.

My childhood enveloped me in a cloak of shyness. This took years for me to come out of my shell. Even then I shunned being noticed by other people. I lived my youth like an unheard of book hidden away in a musty corner of a library. 

Now as an almost old guy it seems years have gone by in the speed of light. I look back on decades of trying to find myself, and where I fit into God’s plan. Even today I can blush at mistakes I made in my faith. If it is possible I’m sure I must have been an embarrassment to God.

In the past three years I know of God’s leading and care. He has brought my wife and I to a stage in life we can rest in. No, we don’t have money to burn. We have our children and grandchildren close by. We belong to a caring church family we love to be part of. Besides such blessings, I am in a deeper love with my writing.

This month brought a new chapter in the life of my writing. I am in love with poetry, a beautiful form of storytelling. A serious consideration to write poetry is new to me. From a distance I have always admired poets. Poetry, done well, can have a powerful emotional impact on readers.

In the first week of November I listened to a poet on the internet radio channel, Ancient Faith Radio. Angela Doll Carlson, hosts her program, The Wilderness Journal. Her way of reading poetry drew me in right away. Nothing else in the moment mattered as I listened to the beauty of her poem. She read like she loved every word. Through, Angela Doll Carlson, poetry embraced me. I sensed God’s call for me to enter this beautiful form of writing.

I am unsure where poetry will take me. For now I’m exploring its territory. From my point of view, a storyteller who is a Christian, I pray my poems will give peace to readers and stir their souls. I pray I stay true to the writing God lays on my heart. I trust my poetry presents a sense of suffering and hope. This is what my writing is all about.

Please accept this humble poem written for our InScribe family.

Through These Words

By Alan Anderson

Life’s storms assail,

while waves crash over us.

We reach for the shore,

but the waves are stronger.

Weakness overtakes us,

we are frail,

we cannot do this on our own.

Our Creator, the Author,

gives us words.

Be faithful to these words,

true heart words from God.

Like fresh air,

His truth sets us free.

Our call, to minister with words,

What a way to view life!

To give peace to the world,

comfort to mourners,

strength to the fearful,

and life to the dying,

Through these words!

 

Alan lives in Deroche, B.C. with his wife, Terry. Alan contributed stories to Good Grief People by Angel Hope Publishing, 2017 and Story by Story: The Power Of a Writer, Unstoppable Writers Publishing, 2018. Blog: https://scarredjoy.ca. Alan is BC rep for InScribe.

 

Being Together by Alan Anderson

“I in them and you in me, that they may become completely one, so that the world may know that you have sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.”—John 17:23

I attended my first InScribe annual conference this Sept. From start to finish, I enjoyed this time to interact with our InScribe family of storytellers. Allow me to expand on my experience at our conference.

Are We There Yet?

My wife, Terry, accompanied me to our conference. She has a brother living in Edmonton and spent time with him after the conference. Our directions noted it was twenty-four minutes' drive to the Providence Center. Terry drove, and I navigated. My directional challenged way took over. I can confuse any technological direction gizmo.

We were enjoying the scenic route I steered us on. Inside my mind, I asked myself the question, “Are We There Yet?” During this trip around our unfamiliar surroundings, I endeavoured to make sense out of the direction thingy on my wife’s phone. Oh boy, I determined I had no clue where we were. Terry caught on to this with the speed of light. 

After cool heads prevailed, we turned the car around and thanks be to God we soon drove into the driveway of Providence Center. With my navigational skills, we could condense the twenty-four-minute drive into one hour and five minutes. Terry looked frazzled but she recovered well.

We checked into our room at Providence then headed downstairs. We came to the gym-sized room and a few people were inside. I introduced Terry and myself to the first person we saw. A few seconds after, Tracy, our esteemed President of InScribe, also introduced herself with a hug. I knew at this point I reached one of my bucket list items, attending an InScribe Writers’ Conference.

Conference Musings

As I began to understand more of the open space format, I enjoyed the whole thing. After attending conferences of different types over the years the “open space” format is a welcome change. I like a format where attenders may interact if they choose. I also had the privilege of facilitating a session on writing as healing. 

As I reflect on the conference, my chats with Sally Meadows are a highlight for me. Sally and I have corresponded with each other for a few years. My time with Sally, sealed my belief, meeting people is a primary component of a conference. I also anticipate an ongoing relationship with Caran and Diane, two storytellers who live across the river from me. 

The times of worship first thing each day helped ground me for the day. I enjoyed the one-to-one interaction with fellow InScribers just as much. Each person I sat with allowed me into their journey as storytellers. I learned a lot as I sat and listened to their stories.

God made us unique and our uniqueness shows in our stories. These writers ministered to me and helped me clarify my voice as a storyteller. This helps me minister to other people.

I’m thankful beyond measure to our executive team for the work they did to put the conference together. We gathered as writers out of our love of God, being storytellers, and to be with each other. Through our conference, we enjoy unity with other Christians. God loves this.

https://scarredjoy.ca/

Altogether Beautiful by Alan Anderson

“You are altogether beautiful, my darling; there is no flaw in you.”—Song of Solomon 4:7

To know we can create beauty is altogether beautiful. In my writing, I often portray beauty in a poignant way. Stories people have shared with me over the years show this. Beauty is watching an elderly lady invaded by Alzheimer’s disease smiling while holding a doll close to her chest like a baby. Beauty can be captured in the final moments a couple shares with each other. Beauty is seen in the face of a woman kissing the forehead of her husband a few seconds after he died.

At times beauty can be marred and disfigured. For instance, I find social media can be a wasteland of negativity, mindless clamouring, and scarce beauty. I often restrain myself from being sucked in to its sullied vortex. A couple of years ago I became sickened of the ugliness. I tried to encourage people to perhaps change things. I suggested people begin to highlight “the beautiful.” The beautiful includes anything that might lend a hand to social media to become more civilized. I am still disciplining myself to share beauty in this context.

One the other hand, beauty can indeed be seen on social media in our daily InScribe blog posts. We feel beauty when we engage with the writing of others. They are those who love contributing words of life for readers to enjoy.

Our posts are never wasted in sending them out into the world. Social media cannot censor the hearts called by God to speak into the encroaching madness. Our posts are light shining into the darkness of sin-enslaved lives. Our words are beauty causing ugliness to flee screaming into the night.

There are particular times in life where I need to see beauty. At times life seems a bit dark to me. The mountains around me on a clear and cloudless day; the beauty of the smiles of my grandchildren; Beauty in the hugs of my wife; the tail wags of our poodle Charlie; these are all experiences with beauty keeping me grounded and in love with life.

In the area of British Columbia where I live beauty is seen all around. No matter what season it may be beautiful scenes are abundant. Many times throughout the year I walk around with my camera to capture beauty. When I’m satisfied with a photo I will often use it in my writing such as on a blog post. I love creating such beauty. I only use photos I’ve taken or my daughter has taken for my blog posts. She and I see beauty in similar contexts so we share photos with each other.

Beauty is best defined when contrasted to ugliness or suffering in life. To me, the purpose of suffering, grief, or pain, is to enable us to appreciate the great glory there is in beauty. I think of Christ’s suffering for us on the Cross. In this tremendous sacrifice, the absolute beauty of our salvation shines through.

When challenges or struggles in life threaten to overtake us we can rest in beauty. The beauty God sees in us. The beauty originating in Him, the great Creator. God looks at us and says, “You are altogether beautiful, my darling; there is no flaw in you.” Oh, that we can grasp God’s depth of love for us.

This writing prompt evoked deep feelings within me. I believe this is because I am thankful God gave us the gift of beauty. Our feelings, our emotions, our tears, our laughter, all capture the beauty God placed within us. Oh my soul, bless and praise God for beauty!

https://scarredjoy.ca/

I Saw Him Dead—The Centurion by Alan Anderson

“Now the centurion, and they that were with him watching Jesus, when they saw the earthquake, and the things that were done, feared exceedingly, saying, Truly this was the Son of God.”—Matt. 27: 54 English Revised Version.

Please allow me to discuss with you a few of my thoughts about Christ’s crucifixion. I must ask you to not mention this to any other soldiers. They would not be pleased with me.

I’ve been a Roman soldier for a number of years and more than I can remember. As a Centurion I have men I am responsible for and who are to obey my commands. These men know better than to disobey me.

There are parts of my work I do not like. I hate crucifixions the most. I’ve seen men and women being crucified. I have witnessed them lingering before they died. Crucifixion is a brutal way to die. Roman law deems it for some people therefore we carry it out. My men would rather crucify someone than disobey Roman commands. They would suffer themselves at the hands of the state if they disobeyed.

I have to say the crucifixion that bothered me most was that of Jesus Christ. I was there when this man was arrested. I even saw Him heal someone. At the time we arrested Jesus one of the men with Him sliced off the ear of one of my men with his sword. Just as I pulled my sword out of its sheath Jesus stepped forward. He placed his hand over the man’s bloody ear and healed it. Now, that I will never forget.

Jewish priests and members of the Sanhedrin made a huge fuss over Jesus when He was brought to trial. They acted as if He was the vilest criminal they had ever laid eyes on. They don’t shut up until they have a chance to make their terms known. They were determined to have Jesus punished.

My men and I agreed Jesus didn’t seem threatening at all to us. He didn’t scream or yell back when charges were made against Him. He stood there kind of like a sheep waiting to be slaughtered.

As you know, Jesus was sentenced to death by crucifixion. People even cried out to have Him executed. I didn’t know religious people can be so cold and heartless until those Jewish leaders witnessed His punishment. Some even had smiles on their faces.

I remember His face most of all. As He hung on His cross Jesus looked right at me. It felt like He could see into my soul. I wanted to look away from Him but I just couldn’t. Jesus died. I was there when a few of His friends took His body down from the cross. I saw Him dead.

I also witnessed that one morning after His burial it was discovered His body was missing. There is no way His body had been stolen. He had come back from the dead. I couldn’t believe it at first but there was no other explanation.

To have a Man so brutalized, betrayed and killed, come back from the dead, staggers my mind and changed my life. For something like this to happen shook my conscience just like the earthquake shook my world. I realize now I have been a walking dead man.

Through His resurrection Jesus paved the way for my resurrected life as well. He truly is the Son of God. He has given me a peace I’ve never known. This peace is strange to me yet it is real.

There is an urge within me to inform other people Jesus came back to life. Perhaps I’ll find opportunities to tell my soldiers and officer colleagues about what I witnessed. He has risen! Indeed He is risen!

https://scarredjoy.ca/

Heading Into New Territory by Alan Anderson

Isaiah 46:4: “Even to your old age and gray hairs I am he, I am he who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you.”


I’m heading into new and unknown territory for me. Some people refer it to “old age.” I don’t know when one is supposed to know old age has been reached. All I know is I have never been there before but I know it’s just around the corner. It’s seems natural to be growing older. I wonder what being “old” will be like? I sense eternity is on the horizon and I find comfort in that future.

My years of being involved in ministry have caused me to listen to my teachers, those older than I. They have taught me challenges and blessings of old age. As one older lady said to me “Old age ain’t for sissies!” I believe her. The blessings include doing life on a more unhurried basis, especially if one continues to enjoy good health. These days with spring drawing closer I spend time outside just watching the birds eat from the old coffee maker I turned into a birdfeeder. No reason to rush from this simple pleasure.

I believe spending time with my elders, my teachers, has helped pave the way for me, as I grow older. The time with them was a study in aging. I saw the joy of old age in their eyes and the cries of old age from their hearts. The loudest and most heartbreaking cries came from those whose beloved children had died before them. As they told me, that’s not supposed to happen. Crushing yet humbling words, I pray I never experience such a sorrowful loss.

I remember being invited to a birthday party for a lady who turned one hundred five years old. She was the center of attraction and she loved it. She was a library of stories going back decades. She taught me of the enduring love for our parents we may enjoy even to our old, old age. One day when I visited with her we both realized Mother’s Day was not far away. She turned to me and said, “Here I am over one hundred years old and I miss my mom. In fact I miss both my parents.” I will always remember that sweet endearing statement.

As I get older I am aware I have more years behind me than I do ahead of me. As a Christian I also know life does not end with my earthly death. I guess I am at a point in life where such a thought is acceptable to me. Such a prospect as a life after this makes this one even more worthwhile. It’s like living in the here and now is giving me practice for the life to come.

I find comfort in my faith in God as I walk into the later stage of my life. I am reminded from the Bible that God loves me. Wow, what a precious truth to embrace. His Word also assures me He has prepared a place for me and I will be in this place forever. Such assurance is humbling. You see, faith in God means I am not earthbound. My citizenship is not confined to this life.

And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.—John 14:3 (NIV)

If you read this rambling blog post to the end I thank you. As I write it is like I am chatting with friends. You are the kind of friends who make life less lonely and more meaningful for this aging writer. I mean, where would life be without writers or readers? We are in this life together my friends. Thank you for being my companions.

You can read more by Alan Anderson on his blog Scarred Joy.

We Are In This Together by Alan Anderson

 ^“In the presence of God who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus who in his testimony before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, I charge you to keep the commandment unstained and free from reproach until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ…”—First Timothy 6: 13-14 (RSV).

My philosophy regarding my writing echoes my philosophy of care when I was in pastoral and chaplaincy work. It is to encourage people as we journey through life together in spite of hardship, sorrow or disappointment in the times we live in. Even in a secular culture like Canada the apostle Paul’s charge to the younger minister holds true. “…I charge you to keep the commandment unstained and free from reproach until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ…”

In being called to be writers we can encourage each other to persevere in whatever area of writing we are involved in. This encouragement, of course, can also be giving to other creatives. We must never give up.

I see Pontius Pilate as representing the secular mindset of when Jesus lived. This mindset also matches the growing and lost secularism of our day. The truth of God is alive and well but most people reject it. Pontius Pilate had the Truth before him yet rejected it.

I love my fellow writers. I have been encouraged by many writers especially those of the InScribe writer family. In turn I want to encourage and spur them on. I know if it wasn’t for the blessing of other writers my words might not come to fruition. We need each other.

I experienced a sense of sadness when I read Ruth Snyder’s final message as InScribe President. She has been President, I believe, since I joined InScribe a few years ago. I sincerely appreciate in her final message as President she encouraged us to spur each other on (FellowScript, Summer 2018 edition).

Ruth’s encouragement reminds me we may be more effective in bringing a message of hope if we realize we are not alone in our craft. We are even more determined to influence our society due to the power of encouraging other writers. In this realization we know our writing has meaning and purpose.

Perhaps as you read this post you are in need of encouragement. You sit in front of your computer to write and words are slow to come. The ones you put on to a page lack meaning and are weak. You get up from your computer and look out a window in hope of giving your mind a rest. This effort to write is all devoid of joy and you are downhearted. I imagine many of us experience this from time to time.

My tendency is to be a loner when I create a story. Perhaps this is due to being an introvert by nature. I’m not shy but I am an introvert. I’m at a point in my life where I enjoy sharing my work with other writers to critique. It’s worth it in the long run and it spurs me on.

I love to encourage other writers. It is a privilege to encourage another writer when I’m asked to critique a work in progress. Is this a joy to you as well my reader friend? What a privilege it is to be a writer.

Secularism may be the call of today but it is also a time when we as writers who are Christian continue to bring stories, articles, and messages of abiding hope to people. Let us not be shaken by the darkness and negativity so prevalent in a society searching for meaning and purpose. Let our writing be pleasing, unstained and free from reproach all in the name of the One we serve. We are in this life together and we are not alone.

https://scarredjoy.ca/