What an interesting idea. Making a promise to myself.
After dinner last night, my wife and I were sitting around the table discussing the current state of events in our home. We shared warm thoughts about how blessed we feel to live in a nice house, swim in our pool, and have friends over for an evening feasting on delicious food, celebrating our friendships, and playing a mostly-friendly game of chicken foot. I have to admit, some of my friends can be very cutthroat when the dominoes come out. Still, it’s all in good fun and nobody takes themselves too seriously.
Turning Point
Then our discussion turned to my current activity of writing on this blog. You see, I began writing online with the idea it was important for me to have a voice. Like many others out there, I thought myself to be something of a wordsmith. Some who’ve actually read my material are yawning at this notion. Others might agree, but not with much enthusiasm. A few, (albeit probably all are friends or family) think I’m a real genius and expert communicator. Go figure. Words are like art, each often leave different impressions on various readers and observers. In the fall of 2015, which seems like eons ago, I bravely ventured into the online blogging game with a very naive expectation of what would happen next.
Here’s how I started at that time. I would write something every day. Even if only a few words or thoughts. Just to maintain my presence in the blogging community. It was important to me to write something relevant, attempt to be humorous at times, and deeply philosophical with other articles. I wrote nonsense, I wrote truth. But I wrote. I wrote and wrote and wrote. When I started I didn’t know where to start so I used the “Word of the Day” prompt to gain a subject for my material.
After a time, I found the “write something every day challenge” a bit difficult to accomplish. It was more of a goal really I equivocated. Then there were a few years when I was busy writing for a Bible Study I was leading and the effort to publish anything else was strained for time. So, I published my Studies here on this blog. If anyone is interested just search “bible study” on my home page. After that I randomly from time to time would get back online and write something that seemed to be a hot button or touch point for my current life situation. But the write something every day notion was clearly in my rearview window. Until now the last thing I wrote was in 2024.
Almost Two Years Later
I had a dream. In the dream, I believed I was dying. As a Christ-follower, I saw myself praying, “Ok, I’m ready to go. Just take me now.” Even as I was saying the words there seemed to be an unseen entity who was gently whispering “Am I not Sovereign? Do I not get to decide what is best for you, and when it is time for you to come home? What is My name?” I could hear my own voice in the dream going over the many names of God I’ve studied from Scripture over the years. Suddenly it was crystal clear the promise I should make. I will begin again.
Starting Over
The next day I got up and looked at my blog for the first time in almost two years. What I discovered sent me running to my wife to show her the revelation. Since January of this year, without writing a single word, I have had more people visit the site, and read the articles of the last ten years, than I previously had in several of those years combined. I was completely stupefied. People were still downloading the bible studies. More and more people everyday were downloading my top story “Fast Like Peanut Butter.”
In those few moments I was reborn as a writer. I knew there was a promise I had to make to myself now. Don’t stop writing. Reach out to someone. There are people all over the world just like yourself I said. Reach them, encourage them, affirm them, instruct them. Don’t stop spreading the Good News of the Gospel of Jesus on the platform you already have. Here’s the promise: Persevere!
And I will.
Until Next Time
I’d love for you to follow my blog. I’d love to see what you are writing. I’d love to hear from you with your thoughts about what I’ve written.
Stay close… more to come!
As I was saying... 