My husband, Tim is teaching tonight and I’m trying to brainstorm a subject for this week’s blog post. Frequently I choose my content based on what’s happening in my world at the time. But often I struggle deciding on a topic. I pray for guidance. Every once in a while, an idea will pop in my mind while I sleep and I must jot down a note so I don’t forget by morning. Ultimately, I want to make my words count for good. If my writing lifts someone’s spirit or gives them a bit of wisdom they need, then I’ve succeeded in my goal.
Writing for a wider audience is a big responsibility. I don’t take it lightly. Words have the power to give life or tear it down. When I publish a blog, the internet scatters my words to the wind. I have no idea who reads them. Some respond with a ‘like’ or comment but most remain silent. When I think of the impact words have had on my life, it’s mind boggling. Authors such as C. S. Lewis, Catherine Marshall and Rachel Naomi Remen changed my entire perspective with their writing. They opened up new vistas for me and sent my mind in directions I never would have explored otherwise.
I thank God for free thought and a pen (or keyboard) to write it all down. As a society we must be careful not to squelch questioning minds. My best teachers encouraged me to think on my own, not just regurgitate memorized information. We are made to be thinkers and creators. During the darkest eras in history, people were told what they should read and how they should think. Every tyranny consistently eliminated the educated free thinkers and burned books.
Words matter. The best words promote growth in the reader. Instead of providing all the answers, they stimulate questions. These life-giving words take us to a higher plane of existence and turn our reality up side down. Whether spoken or written, words have the potential to create or destroy. Everyday we all choose how we use them. As for me, I pray the Lord will make my words count for good.
Words-so innocent and powerless as they are, as standing in a dictionary, how potent for good and evil they become, in the hands of one who knows how to combine them!
Nathaniel Hawthorne-author of The Scarlet Letter
Two of the photos in this post are from The Last Bookstore in Los Angeles. It’s still in existence. If you love books, visit in person or virtually. It’s amazing
