Five Blessings from Writing

Last night at our ACFW Minnesota NICE meeting, fellow author Stacy Monson asked us to share blessings we’ve received from our writing. As I considered my answer, I knew there was much to be thankful for. Below’s an abbreviated list–I know there are many more.

1. Friends – In abundance! From my Inkspirational Messages writing buddies, to my ACFW Critique partners, and ACFW Minnesota NICE, and new friends at church, and my Street Teams, and … well, you get the idea.
2. Learning to Persevere – I’ve never considered myself a persistent person, but knowing without a doubt that God has called me to be a writer, I refuse to quit. Not through failures or lousy sales or lack of recognition. As much as I’d like to give up at times, I’m compelled to keep pressing on. An added bonus from this is that I’m now seeing my kids persevere through their tough times and failures.
3. Learning to See Beyond First Impressions to the Heart that God Sees – Have you ever watched the news only to become angry at peoples’ behaviors or beliefs? I certainly have. For example, say you’re watching the news and you hear about a teen who was killed by someone texting while driving, and then you learn that the driver had been drinking as well. Chances are you won’t have too much sympathy for that driver, you’ll likely be angry with him. I know I would be. Well, that irresponsible driver became the hero in Chain of Mercy. Once I peeked inside his life, I discovered the brokenness that God sees, and the heart He wants to restore. So now when I see a news story and have a negative reaction, I take a step back and try to look at them as a broken child of God, as we all are.
4. Closer Relationship With My Husband – Not that we weren’t close before, but this added another layer of devotion between us. Marvin has been my loudest cheerleader all the way, and he actually loves what I write!
5. Deeper Relationship With God – When we use the gifts God gives us, it’s amazing the fruits we see from that! There’s little in the writing life that’s easy, but God’s beside us the entire time. That doesn’t mean we don’t fail or fall or feel alone. Not at all. That just forces us to lean on Him even more.

What blessings have you reaped from being obedient to God’s call, be it writing or some other gift?