Writing Regardless

On Monday morning I listed five writing tasks I wanted to do. Now, five days later, I haven't looked once at that list.

Instead I've taught English to four Japanese women, wrote blurbs for our church information booklet and made plum jelly. But I know those aren't real reasons.

Despite vowing to write, my core resists it. This resistance is particularly strong after I receive criticism. The child in me whispers, "If I'm not going to get the praise I want, why bother?" So it is that other obligations appear more attractive.

In Breath for the Bones by poet and speaker Luci Shaw, I find a reason to write regardless. When I start writing, I discover things I didn't know, both about myself and God. Writing is a way I connect with God. It doesn't have to be good enough for others--it's just good for me.