Canyon and waiting for the echo." (Don Marquis)
These days, you could substitute the word book for the phrase, volume of verse. The quote makes me think of a cartoon I saw once and wish I had copied. It’s of a writer sitting at a desk surrounded by thousands of volumes in a library. An eager fan holds out a copy of his book for him to sign. The caption reads, “Being a writer must make you feel so…so significant!”
The puzzled looked on the writer’s face made me laugh out loud. I know how he feels, and I’m sure you do to. In the face of the plethora of written work we often wonder why on earth we are driven to write. Hasn’t it all been said? Haven’t better writers already captured our thoughts on the page?
The answer is, ‘no.’ Your thoughts, said in your voice, have not been heard and yes, they are significant. They are significant not just because you have done your apprenticeship and reached a level of skill and expertise, but because God wants to use them. You are His child, unique in the universe and He has a purpose for you—all of you, including the words in your mind and heart—those unique words that you put into a computer and send out to a publisher. The expression of that uniqueness, when done with pure motive, is honoring to our Creator. Therefore it is not only fitting that you do it, it is commanded.
1 Peter 4:10 says: “Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms.” What we write is a form of God’s grace to be extended to others, no matter how insignificant we feel, no matter how small the audience may be, no matter the state of the economy,.
Don Marquis’ quote could leave us with a sense of futility unless we know there is an echo, even the infinitely small sound of a rose petal falling in the Grand Canyon. The smallest of echoes has meaning when it is an echo of our Creator’s purpose. So toss your rose petals to the winds, scatter them with prayer and thanksgiving! They are significant in God’s economy. They may even change a life.
Marcia’s inspirational writing has won awards in both Canada and the U.S. Her devotionals are distributed to thousands and her novel, One Smooth Stone, won the Best New Canadian Christian Author Award in 2006. Marcia is also a sought-after speaker for women’s events. Visit her at www.vinemarc.com
Marcia,
ReplyDeleteThis is a wonderful post! As a new author I have to keep remembering that the echo I would love, in the form of runaway sales, may not be the echo God has planned. It reminds me of the story of the boy throwing beached starfish back into the water. A man criticizes him because there are too many starfish for his efforts to make any difference. The boy responds as he tosses one back, "It made a difference to that one."
Thanks for your post!
Dan Buckhout
http://youtruth.org/MinistryPartners.html
http://youtruthblog.com
Thank you, Marcia. I needed that reminder.
ReplyDeleteReally enjoyed reading this post and found myself agreeing with every statement. I spoke on this 1 Peter 4:10 verse just two days ago myself and mentioned how we are all called to be 'faithfully administering God's grace' in the way we have been gifted.
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