I’m a writer. I think that’s a given. But anyhoo, I’m a writer who writes what God gives. Now, I am in no way implying that no one else writes what God says, nor am I saying that my writing is perfect. But, what I am saying is that, what I write and share, God has instructed me to share. There are times when a particular situation occurs and God gives me a spiritual understanding or explanation of why. Even the most simplistic situations, you know, like buying bananas, combing my hair a certain way, crossing the street in black shoes. Lol. No, I haven’t written on any of those, well, not yet anyway. But, what I’m saying is that my writing is unique, in the way that God gives me to express myself. And I’m honored by that fact.
Mmmkay, so, I’m sure you have all heard of writer’s block. Wikipedia states that writer’s block is, “a condition, primarily associated with writing, in which an author loses the
ability to produce new work, or experiences a creative slowdown.” Well, I don’t typically suffer from writer’s block, mainly because I simply (or complexly) write what God gives me to write, and He’s never at a loss for words. If He doesn’t tell me to do it, then I just don’t. I keep journals throughout my apartment and I write scriptures, random thoughts, and the like, but as far as writing to share, if it’s not God, you won’t hear it from me. There have been weeks where I didn’t write at all because God had only instructed me to read and pray, and I’m okay with that. If I only write when God gives me the unction, then I know that what I’m giving is relevant.
Today I learned something. Well, not really learned, but realized. So, I had a thought the other day and I tried getting it out of my brain by writing it out. Now, often, God will point out a thought and let me know to hold it until later, but this time, I tried taking that thought and immediately expressing it. The problem wasn’t that I had the thought, the problem was that God hadn’t yet instructed me to put it down yet or how. I was struggling to write… I was experiencing writer’s block. I was “blocked”.
So, I left saved that thought to my computer, and forgot about it. That is, until a few hours ago, I tried rethinking that thought. I pulled up the document and tried typing again. This time it was worse. Now, I have learned that when I struggle to write, or the next thought just won’t come, it definitely means that I’m not listening to God the way that I should, not that He isn’t speaking to me, definitely that I’m missing something. **Self realization moment** It doesn’t happen often, because like I said, if I don’t hear God telling me to write it, I don’t. But every once in a while, I try to force it. I tried to force it, and it just didn’t work. Like we sometimes do in life. We try to force things that just shouldn’t be. How do we know they shouldn’t be? Because God didn’t give us the “okay.”
Yep, so here’s the part that I tell you my point, and then let you be. As children of God, we are to constantly seek Him in everything that we do. And when we don’t, it shows. It’s like when we were growing up, if we didn’t heed all of that instruction that our parent’s gave, we’d miss it and mess up, completely. In the New Living Translation Bible, Mark 4: 23-25 says, “Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand.” Then he added, “Pay close attention to what you hear. The closer you listen, the more understanding you will be given –and you will receive even more. To those who listen to my teaching, more understanding will be given. But for those who are not listening, even what little understanding they have will be taken away from them.” Listening is key! When I listen, my thoughts flow clearly, my fingers move easier (whether by way of pen or keyboard). And times when I listen, and He doesn’t allow those writer thoughts to flow, He’s still speaking but He has something else for me to attend to. We’ve got to learn to heed what God is actually telling us. We move because He told us to, but did He tell us to go south or west? When God instructs me, the attentiveness that I have to His exact words make all the difference. Tonight, God instructed me, and typing this was not hassle, that’s how it should be.
How often have you missed something because you only listened to half the instruction? Did you miss something because you too busy trying to force something that wasn’t intended to be in the first place?
“But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” (Matthew 6:33). When you seek God’s kingdom, He adds to you, whether it be knowledge, resources, or even words to write. “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.” (Proverbs 3:5). I was leaning on my own understanding of what I should do with the thought that God gave me, instead of waiting for Him to instruct me. Don’t get ahead of yourself and become “blocked” from what God is trying to give to you. Don’t go and use God’s gifts and resources for what you “think” they should be used for. Know that, if He provided them, He will instruct on how, when, and where to use them.
Okay, I am way past my bedtime. I have church in the morning… uhhhh, in a few hours.
Love y’all (I really do!),
Ms. A.M.White
Comments