Encouraging Writers

[tneeley]

Reading today's My Utmost for His Highest "Can You Come Down from the Mountain?", I couldn't help but fell Oswald Chambers encouraging Christian writers through this devotional.

Never allow a feeling that was awakened in you on the mountaintop to evaporate. We must learn to live in the oridinary "gray" day according to what we saw on the mountain. Don't give up because you have been blocked and confused once - go after it again.
Although I have not been seriously pursuing writing long, I can easily get discouraged and question what on earth ever gave me the idea I could or should write. I sometimes feel distance between the inspiration I felt (on the mountaintop) and the drive and resolve to continue even when I feel "blocked". It's good to have gentle reminders and encouragement such as today's devotional to remind me that the mountaintops of life are much fewer than the regular gray days, but they are the fuel for them nonetheless.

Be encouraged group and write away!

[lynnmosher]

Tina, I tried earlier today to post but there was a glitch somewhere. Oh, this was lovely! What great encouragement. When I began to write, I had no earthly idea what I was doing. However, God had a heavenly idea of what He wanted me to do. As I continued to trudge along, groping my way in the dark, I began to learn and improve...still am, and, hopefully, always will.

However, I've been discouraged many times but I have kept at it out of obedience. Slowly, but surely, I have had a few pieces published, which brings confidence. I pay no attention to the rejections, only that my work did not fit their publication at that time, so I move on to the next one.

Times of discouragement will always come but it is our choice what we do with them. We can praise God, take a breather, work on something else, and then go back to the piece that had us stumped and finish it. Perseverance pays with dividends!

Thank you so much for posting this encouragement for all of us. May the Lord truly bless you!

[MikeLynch]

Tina, keep plugging away at writing. There are times when the words just flow through your fingers, and then there are times when we feel as dry as the desert. Usually, the latter is a time when God is trying to teach us something, or perhaps trying to get our attention. It's during these dry times that we tend to rely on Him more when it comes to our writing. When I have going through moments like these, the writing is so difficult, and typically comes out very slowly. In my mind, it all sounds just awful. But when I go back to read what I've written, it is often much, much better than I thought. In fact, there are times when it's some of the best stuff I've written. I recognize then that God was right there all along, helping me with the words.

Mike

[tneeley]

Mike, thanks for the encouragement and for sharing your experiences. I've also had times when I've re-read my journaling and have no memory of writing the words, knowing they could only be by the grace of God. God is so faithful in the gray days. If we had no gray days, we'd never recognize a mountain-top experience and writing would be pretty dull, huh?

Blessings on your writing!