Like Food, Like Love, Like God by Dayna E. Mazzuca

Romancing with Words

A mile away, words matter. If I see a sign, a billboard, an advert or a call-out in words “creatively spelled” or “enhanced with seductive images” I have an almost allergic reaction. I divert my children’s attention much like my ultra-health-conscious friends shy their children away from the processed meat aisle. I want my words, images, messages and overall intellectual intake to be as healthy and robust as my super-slim girlfriends want their vitamins and organic goodies on a daily basis. For me, words are to the soul as food is to the body.

Up close, words matter. I can’t imagine hugging my husband on his way out the door and whispering sweet nothings about not forgetting to return the “fast-views” library DVDs. Rather, it's the sweet meaningless words that have a powerful effect. They can make us feel a thousand times better than any well-crafted speech, $6 Hallmark card, or front-page National Post article we strongly agree with. Up-close words are for loving. They shelter us from the needs and greeds of the outside world. They fortify us. Especially when combined with a loving touch or a longer-than-usual look of deep acceptance. Bon mots are to the heart what a hug is to my marriage.

And then there’s what we put on paper, or the screen, or into a book, a story… there are the words we write. Talk about romance! Commitment, devotion and loyalty! Writers seem more wed to their words-of-choice than any married couple I know. The Bible talks quite a bit about not being double-minded; being wholly devoted, consecrated and even “set aside” to the purposes of God. I am convinced the writer’s gift is of a spiritual nature when I see how our spiritual walk parallels our walk as writers. We are wholly unsatisfied with the “wrong” word choice or an “unconvincing” story line or “flat” characters. We want what is real, strong, and even holy to appear and be made manifest through our otherwise rather humble creations of words arranged on paper. Why else would we care so much, unless it was God who was at work within us, helping us hone our craft and discern our particular calling—all to his glory. Single-mindedness is to the spirit what a perfect page of prose is to the writer.

There’s this deep desire in a writer to dovetail what’s going on inside with what’s being consumed, uttered or written on the “outside.” Writers are creatures of high ideals. They crave purity, constancy, protection, affirmation, strength, commitment, achievement and engagement. They look for this on a cultural, driving-by level. They look for this in their relationships. And they look for this in their God-given work.

The good news is the Bible says he who seeks—finds!

A Wordy Love Affair - Shirley S. Tye

Words! Yuck! It certainly wasn’t love at first sight. In elementary school, writing was difficult because I was a poor speller. Reading was difficult because I didn’t know how to pronounce many words. Speaking? Well, I didn’t know how to express myself; wasn’t encouraged to do so at home; in school we had to remain quiet; and I was shy.

At the age of nine, my Sunday School teacher gave the whole class Christmas gifts. Each student received a copy of “The Bible” – King James. So there I was at the age of nine trying my best to read and understand that Bible which I was sure was written in some heavenly language – something God spoke.

In grade four, I struggled with English lessons; grammar, spelling, phonetics, syllables. The worst one for me was phonetics. Confusing! And slicing words into syllables – well, my pencil always hacked the poor words into the wrong portions. It stressed me terribly. I thought I was doomed to remain in grade four forever.

But I must have grasped the English lessons somewhere along the way because by grade seven I enjoyed diving into novels so deeply that I’d forget all about my surroundings, difficulties, and loneliness. I felt I was walking with the characters; living the same life as they. At the end of the novel I was always sad that the story had ended. The only cure for that kind of sadness was to get another library book.

By college, my writing and reading skills had greatly improved. I scored A’s with ease.

Then one day, the idea of being a writer popped into my head. I took a correspondence writing course and a course at the local library taught by the writer-in-residence. My teachers saw potential in me and encouraged me which spurred me on. Now I enjoy reading even more and writing stories is a thrill – not always easy but none-the-less an enjoyable learning experience. It’s awesome to see how a sentence can become stronger or an idea clearer by simply changing a word or two or re-working sentences. There’s always something new to learn in the world of writing. A dictionary and a thesaurus are my valuable tools. Oh, yes indeed, it has become a sweet love affair!

I finally did grasp the old English in the King James Bible. Although I’ve read and own copies of other Bible versions, the King James is the most interesting and inspiring one for me. Some passages I still find confusing but nevertheless interesting. The Bible is a fascinating book; in fact, it is more than fascinating, it is God speaking to us, shedding His holy light unto our path. It has stood strong for many years and will continue standing unlike my words which will fade away.