Blog: A Four-Letter Word (Part Two)

(blŏg) n. A weblog; intr.v. blogged, blog•ging, blogs To write entries in, add material to, or maintain a weblog.(1)

Another month, another blog. The struggle continues, but light is at the end of the tunnel. And although blogging is still not part of my comfort zone, at least I’m doing it.

Sorta.

Blogging and writing have had interesting treks in my life. Like I mentioned last month, I never wanted to be a writer so when the Lord asked me to do it, and gave me a specific project, I felt paralyzed.

For a good year after that I fought God’s call then, in the winter of 2001, finally gave in. By that point I was tired, empty, and spent. My spiritual wineskins were cracking and had been void of living water for who knows how long. My mouth and throat seemed caked with sand, and parts of me were dying that I didn’t even know existed.

In 2 Corinthians 12:8-10 Paul said, “But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”

For in my weakness He is made strong.

Yes, I was scared. Yes, I had concluded I was probably the last person on the face of this earth who should have been called write a nine-book, young adult, sci-fan epic, but let’s face it—when the rubber meets the road, when God’s hand sweeps down in desert places and picks us up, it’s no longer about our wants or desires, our strengths or accomplishments. It’s about Jesus.

For in my weakness He is made strong.

In my darkest moment the living God looked down on my pitiful, crumpled form, lifted me up, then gave me a promise. “I will replace your old wineskins will new ones.”

And He did.

Less than one week after that I was unexpectedly swept into the world of ACFW, and being introduced to such wonderful ladies as Sharen Watson of Words for the Journey, and our own Kathy Kovach and Paula Moldenhauer. These ladies became living water to me. They became my oasis in a parched land. They became my wineskins.

* * * * *

Thank you, Lord, for being there even when I wasn’t, when faith was pointless and doubt was Ruler. It was then you picked up me and placed me by still waters. You restored my soul and gave me new wineskins. You filled me up with Living Water and lead me to a land filled with milk and honey. Thank you, Lord, for all you have done. But especially, forgiving me such wonderful friends. May their lives be blessed.


“‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the LORD, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you,’ declares the LORD, ‘and will bring you back from captivity.’” Jeremiah 29:11-14




(1) "blog." The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition. Houghton Mifflin Company, 2004. 14 Jan. 2009. Dictionary.com. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/blog.