Trustees...

I posted today over at "Faithchicks" but thought I'd also share the thoughts here.

In a recent interview I was asked for "writing tips." All the standard answers jumped to mind. But the stark awareness of my inadequacies stopped me from spouting off my thoughts. Instead, here's what I offered:

The most valuable advice I can share is to seek Him first.
If stories burn in your bones and you wrestle the words onto paper and that's part of how you know Him and make Him known - then it will be time well-spent.

Recognize that Christ's redemptive sacrifice, the Father's creativity and compassion, and the Holy Spirit's empowering are all far beyond the ability of our writing to express - so we will always face the frustration of seeking to "utter the unutterable."

We're all like Isaiah, saying, "Woe is me. I'm a man of unclean lips." Our words are so limited and flawed in the face of God's glory. Yet when God calls us and touches that coal to us, like Isaiah, we can cry out, "Send me!"

And He will. He'll give you unique stories to tell about the human condition, and about His grace. Calvin Miller said, "We are the trustees of our glorious individuality." No one else can write the stories God has given you to write. Treasure that calling. Make yourself available. And trust that He uses the broken, the wounded, and the flawed in bewildering and unexpected ways.