Most of the writing I do is short meditations/devotions or creative
nonfiction. Everyday life gives me inspiration
for my topics. Even so, the words are not always there when I want them. Sometimes the seed of an
idea needs time to mature and blossom into something I can write about. There doesn’t seem to be an effective way to
rush this process.
I’ve only been writing seriously for a little over three
years. When I started, my husband
encouraged me to take pictures of anything that interested me. He said that I may not know what to do with
them right away but they may be useful prompts down the road. How right he was!
More than once I have scrolled through the file of pictures
on my computer and gained inspiration for one of my stories. I like to add a picture to my blog posts and
find my cache of pictures often fills this need as well.
That being said, things don’t always line up the way I’d
like. An initial idea may be there along
with a few good thoughts to go with it.
The challenge is often the ability to word things in a way that
points the reader to a closer relationship with the Lord of the universe.
At times like this, I’ve learned to save my work as a draft
and put it aside. When the timing is
right, the Lord will give me the words he wants me to use. I must always remember that it is not my words
I want to share, but his. They should be
as a prayer that glorifies him.
Recently I discovered a prayer written early in the last century that
sums up my feelings. Unfortunately the
author is unknown.
“Lord of the universe, how I wish I had the words to fashion
beautiful prayers to praise Thee! But
alas, I cannot find these words. So
listen to me O God, as I recite the letters of the alphabet. You know what I think and how I feel. Take these letters of the alphabet and YOU
form the words that express the yearning, the love for Thee in my heart!”
www.timewithtandy.com
