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Hi lovely Saxon Scribes. ‘Tis I, emerging from hyperspace like the Millenium Falcon with a blown hyperdrive and three dozen Tie-fighters on her tail.

Have I been watching The Force Awakens? Yes I have.

Seeing as this month’s theme is writing lifestyle, I thought this would be a great time to have a Mutual Encouragement Moment. We all have different things we struggle with when it comes to putting words on paper and making them work, but we discuss those technical struggles a lot.

What about living life as a writer is the most difficult for you, and how have you persevered through it? Do you struggle with commitment? Insecurity? Jealousy? (*raises hand* guilty.)

My biggest struggle in that area, though, is probably frustration at not being taken seriously. The blank, bemused look on someone’s face when you try to explain why writing is important to you and what you believe God can do with it, and they blink at you and ask you why you aren’t spending your time at things more productive for the Kingdom— like actual mission trips. Important things that will make a difference. Not that fluffy fiction stuff, because honestly, fairytales don’t change the world, and darling, you should be old enough to know that by now…

The more I struggled with this, the more I began to realize they were reacting as much to my attitude as my choice of mission. The more I was called upon to explain, the more frustrated I grew at the failure of communication, and the more reluctant I became to talk about it. My attitude was childish, and they naturally assumed my commitment to God was the same.

My attitude was childish because the approval and acceptance of other people was more important to me than God’s approval, which kept me from graciously representing the calling He’d chosen for me. Ouch.

I’m still working on this. My go-to verse is 1 Timothy 4:12: Let no one despise your youth, but be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity.

Being an example is hard. It’s much easier to listen to my wounded pride and follow my emotions wherever they lead me. Dramatic as this may sound, I remind myself that being gracious to people who don’t see the value in my calling is a form of turning the other cheek. It’s an internal battle most people won’t recognize or even care about, but God will, and that’s what counts.

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