Day 16: November 16, 2013

**  I apologize for the delay in posting (and therefore the number of posts in rapid succession now) but I had a huge issue with blogger that took some time to iron out (come to find out, my safari update does not communicate well with blogger... and I had to switch to FireFox as my web browser).  Hopefully all is resolved and I will do a better job of offering daily posts.

Daily Devotional Message

For the past 200+ days I have maintained a daily routine of writing my morning pages (as per Julia Cameron's suggestion in the Artist's Way) and I have also read two Christian devotionals and journaled my response.  Typically I read the Biblical scripture in both the NIV and The Message, and journal my thoughts regarding the verses before reading the author's message.

Today I felt as though the Lord had written the scripture especially for me.  It is found in 2 Corinthians 3:5 and the way The Message translated this verse took my breath away:

...that you, written by Christ himself for God, are our letter of recommendation... Only God can write such a letter....

 Now, I have read that Christ is the vine and we are the branches... or that Christ is the good shepherd and we are the sheep... and I understand that analogy to a certain extent... BUT... Christ is the author and I am his manuscript?!  That is my language!

I think since this is November and I am working intently on my NaNoWriMo piece, this scripture became so real to me.  For I know the pain and care I am giving to the creation of my own story.  I know the time it takes to develop a cohesive plot with no holes; I know what it is like to try to develop a well-rounded complex character; I know what it is like to develop a central theme that is evident throughout the piece.  And none of this is easy - and most certainly not conceivable in a first draft.

But that is not the only skill involved in writing such a piece.  There is the craft of language, and selecting just the perfect word to convey the thought.  There is attention that needs to be paid to pacing so that not too much time is spent on the insignificant and enough time is spent developing the important scenes.  And I know that proper grammar and punctuation is needed to help the reader remain engaged.

And I know that sometimes the characters want to try to usurp their own power and take control of the story, and that it is necessary to remain true to the character but to also maintain control of the overall piece.  Only the author knows the beginning, middle and end before it is written.

And that is exactly as it is with our relationship with Christ.  We need to allow Him to write our story in life... for He is the ultimate creator.  He will not write us into a corner; He will always keep us consistent with our purpose; He will be sure to develop the main purpose until the very last chapter.

It was a beautiful morning... and I am so very grateful that the Lord is patient with me and that He is willing to speak language that I understand.