This weekend, I was going through upcoming lessons for my class. One assignment the kids will have to do is find a story/poem/essay on the Gutenberg Project web site, http://www.gutenberg.org/. While browsing, I found two of my favorite poems, The Highwayman by Alfred Noyes and The Rime of the Ancient Mariner by Samuel Taylor Coleridge. I think one of the reasons I love these poems is because they are written in narrative form. Looking them over again, and playing with different formats for them in InDesign, was like visiting an old friend. I LOVE words, as much I love to eat or sleep or breathe. Words to me are life.
Right now, I am reading Mourning into Dancing by Walter Wangerin. http://walterwangerinjr.org/new_web/publish_details.php?id=12 I have also read his The Book of the Dun Cow. The way that he has with words just gets me. His is some of the most beautiful prose I have ever read. I can only aspire to write as well as he does. His gift is truly amazing and I am thoroughly enjoying reading his book. Reading and writing are my comfort zone, my place of refuge from the storms of this world.
So, my love of words and something my pastor said on Saturday got me thinking. Why do I love words so much? Why did God give me this passion and the talent I do have with writing? If I put it away on a shelf, will it do anyone any good? Not likely. My pastor likes to say that what God gives to you, he wants to flow through you. It seems frustrating that I have been so busy that I cannot seem to find time to pursue getting my book published. I have this voice that tells me to do something about it, but then life always seems to get in the way. Not only do I work full time, and some weeks it is more than full time - I now put in more volunteer hours helping out with the design stuff at church. I am using my talents for God, but my most important talent - well, it is sitting on a shelf, or more literally, it is sitting inside of my computer waiting to be released to those in need. If the truth be told, I think I am scared of what may happen. My God sized dream scares the pants off of me. I pray that I would have clarity over which publication path to pursue so my time is not wasted and that I would fully trust God with all of the talents he has entrusted to me. In the meantime, I will continue to soak up the beauty around me found in the written word.
1 comment:
Wangerin is my favorite writer. I agree that he writes some of the most beautiful prose around. Mourning into Dancing is a good one. I'm reading his novel, Jesus, right now. Loving it. Remind me sometime to tell you my amazing real-life Wangerin story if I haven't already. It's a good one.
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