I’d sure like for us to become better acquainted. It’s kind of awkward over the internet. However, I have a few Q&A items that might serve us to this end. Today’s post centers on writing as part of my life’s calling.
I hope that you will comment below and introduce yourself, as well, and let me know what brought you here.
Thank you! In advance: it’s nice to meet you.
Today’s Installment: How does writing fit into your sense of calling?
During college, the Lord impressed on me that I would spend my life in ministry service, but that the form would change through time. During high school and college, I actively participated in and led student missions and ministries: church youth group, church youth choir, Christian Student Union, Young Life/Campaigners, Campus Crusade for Christ, CCC’s summer project to eastern Asia, “undercover Christian” ministry in a fiercely non-Christian camp, etc. After college, there was junior high youth ministry full-time for a summer, then volunteer high school ministry for three years, then full-time junior high/senior high/college ministry direction for 7 years in a mega church. Although I gave talks, led Bible studies, discipled girls and women, developed and led missions teams, developed and led worship teams, and engaged in all sorts of ministry activities. All this with very little theological training, and this never seemed to be a problem for the organizations in which I ministered. That’s not a huge problem for many – and not a problem at all for God to accomplish his purposes; but it was a problem for me, specifically. I think I needed the development.
When the Lord directed me to seminary, I welcomed it, even though I hadn’t been to school in just over ten years and never had any ambition to return to schooling of any kind. But I finally realized how much I needed it. Near the completion of my M.Div., the Lord strongly impressed on me an idea for a book that would encourage other women who may never have opportunity to attend seminary, or perhaps no desire, to develop themselves biblically and theologically. The idea was to give them the ability to critically discern answers to their tough theological, biblical, and practical questions.
That said, I never envisioned myself as a “writer.” I didn’t think I had the temperament for it, although I believed I had the writing skills and was uniquely positioned to write for this particular project. I came to realize that a “writer” is not merely one who is trained to write; it’s the one who writes. As I submitted to this call, eventually embraced the idea of calling myself a writer. Many, many others have confirmed writing as a potential calling. I guess it’s been a present calling all along.
More soon.
Let’s Interact!
Would you please take a moment to place a comment below? Let me (and our little community that finds its way to this page) know…
- Who you are and a little about yourself.
- Have you ever experienced a call by God to some specific task or direction?
- How did you sense that?
- Have others affirmed that task or direction as a potential calling in your life?
- How did you react/respond to your sense of God’s direction and others’ speaking into your life, either for or against that sense?
Thanks for participating! Have a wonderful day, friend.