Some writers have known that they wanted to be a writer since the moment they first held a fat crayon in their tiny fingers and learned to scribble out the first initial of their name. I am not one of those people. I went 35 years with no interest in being a writer. Creative? Yes! Artist? Definitely! Writer or author? –Not so much.
My creative journey took me from acrylic painting in high school, to scrapbooking, and photography in my 20’s, to blogging, paper-crafting and even kids’ crafts in my 30’s. Blogging brought new opportunities. I recognized I had a desire to be affirmed through comments on my posts. I know I have a struggle with prioritizing. My family, my home, my time with God, and local relationships all needed to come first; but I began to put more time and effort into writing blog posts and fostering online friendships. I still did not consider myself a writer. I kept hearing; “Your voice matters.” “Everyone has a story.” “If your writing impacts just one life, you have made a difference.”
I joined an online community of writers. There I received affirmation and encouragement. But life interrupted and the doubts crept in. The daily battle in my head began. “You’re not good enough. No one wants to read about your struggles.” “Someone needs to hear how God encouraged you.” “Writing is a waste of time, you are supposed to be a wife and a mom.” “You create to honor the One who created you.”
So I began to pray the words of Psalm 19:14, “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord.” And I kept creating. I kept writing.
My dad praised my writing, and any little girl knows how much that means. My husband encouraged me to go back to school for a writing degree, and any wife knows how huge that is.
But still I struggle. I work long on a blog post that means so much to me, and it gets a total of two comments, one being my mom, and I wonder why I bother. But then God reminds me that it is not about the praise of man, but about obeying God and following the dream He has placed on my heart. I read the verses in Colossians 3:23-24, “And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; … for ye serve the Lord Christ.”
God keeps showing me that my story has value. It scares me, because my story isn’t finished yet, and there are some parts of my story that I’m afraid to share, because they are not all pretty. Then I read in Job 19:23-25, “Oh that my words were now written! Oh that they were printed in a book! That they were graven with an iron pen and lead in the rock forever! For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth:” It was supposed to be a study on hope, but God used those verses to remind me that everyone has a story, and just as I learn from Job’s story, my story may be just what another young mom may need to read someday.
I am great at starting projects, but I have a hard time with finishing well. I do not know where God is taking me on this writing journey. I just know that He is asking me to try new things, to embrace the unknown, to trust Him. So I will continue my education, even when it gets hard. I will attempt publication, whether on a blog, in a magazine, or writing a book. I will “create to honor the One who created me.”
Bio: Julie Wilson is a wife and mom of four kids, whom God uses daily to teach her lessons about life. Recently, she returned to school to improve her writing skills to be better able to share these lessons to bring glory to God.
Julie A Wilson 