Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ… just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort.
2 Corinthians 1:3-7 NIV
Julia sighed. Her novel sat untouched and her motivation waned.
“Did I hear you right, Lord?” she asked. Character development, plot twists and distant memories all intertwined in her mind. Her desire to use fiction to reach families with infertility had seemed inspired, but the work became drudgery as she struggled with the story arc.
Can you relate? Have you been nudged to share your story, but struggled with how to do it?
Julia decided to ask God for confirmation. That night, as a friend helped her husband unload firewood, he shared difficult news – his wife wanted a divorce. Was there another man? No; their unfulfilled quest to have children left her with a barren heart.
Julia said, “It pierced me through, because I knew exactly how she felt. And I knew God was telling me to write my story!”
What difficulty can you turn into a hand-up for someone else? Have you ignored it because of the pain? Could that pain be redeemed by helping another in their turmoil?
Exercise:
Go back through your journals to see where God answered prayer. Ask:
- How did God comfort me? 2 Corinthians 1:4
- How can that personal experience be opened up to include others?
- How did you suffer? 2 Corinthians 1:5
- How can God’s response to your suffering equip you to reach out to others who are in pain?
- How were you stressed? 2 Corinthians 1:6
- How can you bring comfort and reassurance?
- How can you exude hope when life looks bleak? 2 Corinthians 1:7
We need writers who will impact their sphere of influence with comfort, endurance and hope. The medium does not matter; it can be fiction, non-fiction, poetry or prose. But the foundation is crucial. Let the Lord use His Word to inspire you, and get busy for the Kingdom. We’ve got a job to do!
Over 140 of Sally Ferguson’s devotionals have been published in Pathways to God (Warner Press). She’s also written for Light From The Word, Chautauqua Mirror, Just Between Us, Adult Span Curriculum, Thriving Family, Upgrade with Dawn and ezinearticles.com. Prose Contest Winner at 2017 Greater Philly Christian Writers Conference.
Sally loves organizing retreats and seeing relationships blossom in time away from the daily routine. Her ebook, How to Plan a Women’s Retreat is available on Amazon.
Sally Ferguson lives in the beautiful countryside of Jamestown, NY with her husband and her dad.
Visit Sally’s blog at www.sallyferguson.net
We love helping your growing in your writing career.
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