God Said, “Write”

It is so very clever how God moves in us to get our attention to do something He wants us to do—or encourages us to take a step.

Several years ago I read a book that talked about honoring God by using the gifts He gave us—not to take our talents and dreams to our graves—that if we have a desire to write a book, pen a song, act, preach, teach, whatever, we should pursue it.

God grabbed my attention when I was talking about community activities with the owner of a newspaper.  Towards the end of our conversation our discussion moved to various columns in her newspaper.  I almost missed my (God-provided) clue or opportunity.  Pursing a column was not on my mind.  But God kept nudging me and I finally asked the owner if she would consider me submitting Christian based columns for the paper’s religion page.  She agreed and I wrote several years for her newspaper and another community newspaper.

God continued to confirm that not only was He reminding me that I can write, but writing is one thing He wants me to do.

When I questioned my right to write, I heard God through one of Rev. Charles Stanley’s In Touch Ministries radio programs.  That day Stanley preached that any Christian has the right, indeed the responsibility to talk about our relationship with Christ. No excuses, I concluded.  Yes, it’s important that I write to honor a talent God gave me and to spread His good Word.

Then God in his kindness used an amazing experience to further encourage me to write:  I was driving home from work and God placed in my mind the likeness of a black and white speckled composition notebook, which I had previously used for my writing for many years.

The confirmation came when I arrived home and on a pile of some papers and books, was one of those composition books.  I hadn’t seen this type notebook in my home in quite a while.  To see one laying there after God had placed the image in my mind only a few minutes earlier was amazing. My husband told me later he had unpacked some items and found the unused notebook.  Little did he know that placing that notebook in plain view was God-directed.

God still encourages me to write.  The opportunity to submit this article is one example.  I continue to write and to publish.  More on publishing next time.

Deborah Tompkins Johnson is the author of How Did They Do That? – Career Highlights, Triumphs, and Challenges.  She also penned and markets the poem, Don’t Forget Your Umbrella, which espouses a God-given message encouraging us to hear and listen to the Holy Spirit.  For six years Deborah wrote columns for two community newspapers in the suburbs of Washington, D. C.  Those columns were titled Listening to God and In Search of Good Books.

Visit her at shepherdsvoiceministries.org