Preparing the Sacrifice

Photo by Dulcey Lima on Unsplash

Then the Lord said to Moses, “See, I have chosen Bezalel son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah,  and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with wisdom, with understanding, with knowledge and with all kinds of skills— to make artistic designs for work in gold, silver and bronze,  to cut and set stones, to work in wood, and to engage in all kinds of crafts (Exodus 31:1-5NIV).

I couldn’t understand it. I had mimicked her stance to perfection. Yet, when I swung at the golf ball, it sailed far to the right or far to the left. Rarely did the ball manage to land in the fairway, unlike my mother-in-law who hit a straight drive every time.

Why wouldn’t the ball behave for me as it did for her?

 After a season of frustration and being ready to give up the game entirely, I finally realized that Kathryn’s swing worked well for a petite golfer. However, I stood a half-foot taller. No wonder her swing failed me. I spent the next season studying the game, trying to develop a swing that matched my build, age, and club length. With diligence and adaptability, more drives landed in the fairway.

One woman’s approach to golf was a disaster for another.

 Parenting proved to require the same individuality as designing my golf swing. It never ceased to amaze me how three children created from the same DNA pool could be so vastly different, not only in temperament, insight, and personality but in responsiveness as well. Where one learned through insight, another needed rote memorization. Where one crouched in fear from a loud reprimand, another feared nothing. Like my golf swing, I found that my approach to discipline varied not only from child to child but also from offense to offense.

 In our spiritual lives, God uses whatever is necessary to reach us with His truth. Sometimes He will sing His lullaby as he cradles us in His arms. Sometimes he slaps our rigid behinds with a proverbial two-by-four. But in all ways and through all means, He will do all that is necessary to bring us to Him and keep us within His fold.

Christian writers have a message to drive home. Some choose memoirs, telling their own stories. Some write their message from the heart with advice to help the hurting. Those who tell their message through fiction will also vary their delivery. Some write romance. Some write humor. And still, others use fantasy to bring home truths.

In each instance, the genre will fit the writer’s

stance, experience, and voice.

 In this crazy world we call publishing, there are so many avenues of advice. They clamor … do as I do and you’ll be rich. Not necessarily so.

 We need to follow God’s path.

God’s path can be seen in the strengths He has given us.  

Writer, know your strengths and write to your strengths. While listening to others who have journeyed ahead of us, we need to be careful not to mimic them. They have their unique way of developing a manuscript. That way might not be best for you.

 How do you discover your writing strengths?

Pray, and ask God to show you the skills He has given you for His divine purposes.

Rather than going for a critique right off the bat while you’re trying to figure this out, ask writing friends and readers you trust to read your manuscripts with this question in mind, “What works for you?”

What do you most enjoy about what you read? Not the genre, but the content? What intrigues you, what motivates you, and what inspires you? Chances are, these are similar to the gifts God has given you as relating to your craft.

 Then write from the heart.