“Whenever you are fed up with life, start writing: ink is the great cure for all human ills, as I have found out long ago.”
C.S. Lewis
Now, I know not all of you love to write like I do. A lot of you don’t even like to write. But, I know that each of you reading this can write. Therefore, in light of this messy, tangled web that we call life, Lewis’ oh-so-wise advice, and my own experience with healing through writing, I’ve decided that it’s time to invite you all on a journey-of-words with me.
Are you still here? Good! You’re very brave, and I promise that this blog series will not feel like school. Rather, my hope is that it will feel like a cool mountain breeze, whispering away the foggy memories of doubt and frustration, opening the panoramic view to God’s faithful goodness and far-reaching love.
WHY WE WRITE
Writing is a medium for our words. Our words are a medium for our thoughts. Our thoughts contain the overflow of our hearts–memories and ideas, truth and lies, intention and creativity–and the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.
Navigating this tricky, often deceitful landscape of our hearts can be brutally hard. Where do we begin? The facts or the emotions? The past or the present? How do we discern our perception from God’s reality?
Maybe you’d prefer to avoid that kind of depth. You may feel there’s no time for introspection, no reason to look back. Just keep serving. Keep living into the calling God has given you. Some days, just keep on keepin’ on!
I get it. I soldiered on in that mode for years. And about twice a year I’d have a big emotional meltdown, questioning everything about my life and wondering how I could go on. But go on I did. Things didn’t, however, get any better. They only got worse. (Colliding with the Call shares more of that part of my story.)
Then, one day, I was told that it’s okay to pause. It’s good to look at the iceberg beneath the surface. It’s right to bring my past pains to the Lord and ask for help in making sense of it all. I guess I needed permission. So, this is me, giving you permission.
You can slow down long enough to breathe words across the dry places of your soul.
What do God’s words do? They create beauty and goodness. They infuse life and purpose. They exalt truth and love. He’s given you words to do the same.
WHAT TO WRITE
To begin, try setting a timer for five minutes and writing down whatever comes to mind. It might start as a big list of to-dos as your mind needs to first dump that burden. It might be a spewing of all the setbacks you’ve faced, the insults you’ve carried, or the griefs you’re usually too busy to name. Just start writing whatever is in your heart–no filters, no agenda, no stopping for five minutes.
Five minutes. The length of one silly cat video, one news report, or one social media rant. Skip those today and write instead. You can do this!
When you’re done, look at what has flowed out of your heart. Does it resemble more of a cesspool or a refreshing stream? Whatever it is, congratulate yourself! You now know your starting point and you can see into your inner world a bit more clearly.
If you feel any sense of shame, despair or disgust attaching to you after seeing what you’ve written, reject it immediately. Instead, bring your words before the Lord. He already knows what’s in your heart anyway, and He is so delighted that you’re willing to intentionally share it with Him.
As will become our practice throughout this series, ask God if He has any words He wants to say in response. Write those down, too. Write those down, especially.
HOW TO WRITE
For our purposes here, writing needs to be authentic and absent from all pretense. We are learning to use our written words to better understand ourselves and to find God’s presence and work in our lives. We’re not writing for anyone else, so don’t worry about grammatical conventions or neatness. (Unless, mistakes in such things distract you from hearing what’s beneath the surface of your words. I might be one of those people. Darn those details!)
While I personally prefer typing, I can’t deny the research about the benefits of handwriting:
- Handwriting helps you feel peaceful and focused
- Handwriting encourages creativity because it engages more parts of your brain and you see your own “style” in written letters
- It aids problem solving as you give words to often ambiguous feelings or situations
- You remember what you have written more than what you have typed
For this week, those are your only how-tos: write by hand and write from the heart. Try doing the five-minute free-write every day for five days and see if you notice any change in either your writing or your daily attitude and perspective.
WHAT’S NEXT
We’re going to start simple and build throughout this series. In upcoming articles we’ll discuss:
- Creating Lists, for the organized and lovers of simplicity
- Informal Journaling, for the free-spirited and spontaneous
- Narrating Memories, for the beauty seekers and truth finders
Thanks for joining me! May your words bring healing, hope, truth, and life.
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