I Am Not a Writer

I’m not a writer.

See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland. (Isaiah 43:19)

I’ve been roaming the desert and asking, “Who am I?” to God for quite some time. I have sensed a prompting to write for several months, but I’ve ignored it. I really haven’t been prepared to surrender because, well, I’m not a writer.

I follow a few blogs, some for their inspirational word, others for pure enjoyment and another, while a little unconventional and edgy, is packed with hard truths. These people can write. They are eloquent and thoughtful. They are gifted writers and they challenge the way I think about things.

Writing or journaling has never been something I’ve enjoyed. I recently attempted to journal in my Hilroy scribbler, but it felt awkward. I was uncomfortable with the vulnerability of seeing my heart on paper.

Maybe you can relate. Maybe you’ve been challenged, but you’re not a writer… or public speaker, or youth worker, or administrator, or counsellor. Maybe it’s a project, or a job, or striking up a conversation with someone… whatever He is calling you to do.

God has been teaching me that doing His will sometimes means saying yes to the unfamiliar, risky and uncomfortable. I think He moves in this way because He knows these are the things that will stretch our faith the furthest; the things that will make us most dependent on Him.

Again, I think about Moses’ call: Insecurities, lack of experience, and a disability could have held him back from experiencing God’s best, but even reluctant obedience made a way for Moses in the wilderness. Saying ‘yes’ to God set Moses on a journey he could never have predicted, all because he responded to God’s call despite his feelings. His response led to freedom for His people after hundreds of years in slavery.

God is asking me to move outside of my comfort zone and to take risks despite my feelings. Chances are, He’s asking the same of you. He seems to always ask us to stand on the edge of faith and to trust in the new thing He is doing in our lives.

He doesn’t always lead us out of the desert in the ways we hope He will, but I am thankful that He ‘makes a way in the wilderness and provides renewal in the wasteland.’  

I’ve moved beyond the Hilroy scribbler and have purchased a simple but purposeful journal. My prayer is that its pages will be filled with thoughts of His glory and that writing becomes a regular means of God’s grace in my life.

I can confidently say ‘yes’ to being a contributor for WCW because I am confident in Him, not me.

“Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,” says the Lord Almighty. (Zechariah 4:6)

God is about doing the unexpected in our lives. I take comfort in knowing God doesn’t use only the qualified, He uses the willing to accomplish His purposes.

So let me be clear… I’m not a writer. I have no ‘might nor power’, but I am encouraged because He can use me anyway.