With several years of blogging in my rearview mirror, I’ve been, on occasion, asked, “So, why do you write?”
I respond with my typical brand of tongue-in-cheek humour:
“That’s pretty much the only thing I can do,” or “I was the best student in my class…in English. Just don’t ask me about the other subjects!”
The better answer would be that writing helps me think, process, and understand. It gives me a sense of purpose.
But the truest answer is this: When I give expression to the gift of writing, I sense God’s pleasure over me.
That’s a phrase that I’ve borrowed from the movie, Chariots of Fire, in which the actor who plays Olympic athlete Eric Liddle says these memorable words: “When I run, I feel God’s pleasure.”
Turns out, there was a scriptwriter behind those words. And I strongly suspect he sensed God’s pleasure when he wrote those words for Eric Liddle’s character!
So, today, I have a question for you: What’s that thing you do that makes God smile?
What’s something you love doing that, when you’re deeply engaged in, you sense that God is rejoicing with you and over you?
Maybe it’s digging in the damp soil of your little garden, humming a tune under the canopy of the blue sky. When you carefully prune those roses and talk to your marigolds (even though your neighbours think you’re crazy), your heart does a little dance because you sense God rejoicing over you.
Perhaps it’s when you belt out a big, ol’ Whitney Houston number, holding those notes for longer than you thought humanly possible, when you hear God’s going, “You go, girl.”
Is it when you toss fancy ingredients together and let them sizzle in a pan to create that perfect bite that your heart swells with delight and you do a “Thank you, Jesus” jig in your kitchen?
You know where those moments are woven through your week.
Friend, when you discover those precious gifts, nurture and nourish them. Draw, garden, cook, teach, write, dance, sculpt, sing…with the passion stored in you.
And in all those moments, abide. Dwell in Jesus because in Him there is fulness of life. Sure, we may be able to create without being conscious of His presence simply because we’re made in the image of a creative God.
But there’s something extraordinary and sacred that happens when we bring our God-given talents in alignment with our purpose of glorifying Him. When you practice your art and practice God’s presence in the same moment, there is an indescribable, bubbling-over delight that seeps through our very pores.
There is a deep joy in expressing your gifts. But there’s deeper joy in engaging your gifts while sensing your Father smile over you in the sweetest, most encouraging way.
So, why do you ___________? (write, bake, sculpt, teach, sing… you fill in the blank).
A good answer would be to nurture the talents God has given you.
But the truest answer is that you feel God’s pleasure when you offer your talents to Him.
Photo by Aditya Saxena on Unsplash
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
So true.
Thank you for this Susan! I needed it!
Loved this.
I sing, write and draw because I know it is done only because of His grace.
And yes I feel him smiling down on me, giving me a pat on the back, for haven't we all been created for a purpose?