The
theme of this month's blog, “Praying As I Write” reminds me of my prayer anemia
condition. In my reading about anemia I learned red blood cells take or
transport oxygen to the body. If the red blood cell count is below normal then
the body becomes anemic and that is a problem. A person becomes tired, fatigued
due to lack of oxygen. Okay, enough of my attempt at science!
I
realize prayer anemia is a condition I can help alleviate. I also ask the Lord
to forgive me for being neglectful in prayer. Is it that I don't pray? No!
Prayer is in deed part of my life. I'm just not a model of prayer other people
would copy. I’m still a work under construction. At times my prayers are
downright weak.
Included
in the writing prompt this month is the following question. “Tell us of a time
God infused your ideas and writing with His thoughts and desires?” Perhaps the
following experience gives an example of this.
I
may have mentioned in a previous blog post that I was once a closet writer. No
one saw what I wrote. It took me years to allow other people to read my pieces.
I was afraid. I couldn't figure out why God would give me such a gift yet I was
scared to show it to anyone. I knew things had to change in order for me to
take my writing seriously.
I
have always loved to write ever since I was in elementary school. This carried
over to high school, college then seminary. It was when I was in my early
forties and in Bible College for the second time I was convinced I was a
writer. A couple of the instructors encouraged me by suggesting that after
marking my essays they noticed something about my train of thought in how I
wrote. They both said that my essays went deep into the topic at hand. This was
staggering to me. It had to be a "God thing." It still took me a few
more years to launch into serious writing but I no longer kept my writing in
the closet.
After
years of writing timidity I came to a freeing realization. I can write. I can
really write! I can write and there are people who appreciate what I write.
This has caused me to approach the words I put on a page with caution and
respect.
I
know God uses my writing in ways that astound me. He does this in spite of my
prayer anemia. It astounds me that I have had many encouraging comments from
people who recognize I have a gift for writing.
It
is in the fact that God may use my writing to help someone that motivates me to
continue to write. I pray the words I write will form a community of thoughts
pleasing to the One who called me to be a writer. In doing so prayer anemia
will be a thing of the past!
