I remember “journaling time” in school.
My first grade teacher gave us students a thin piece of paper with pink and blue lines and a chunky pencil and told us to write something. In fifteen minutes, she would review it. We were allowed to write about anything—a new toy, something that made us sad, what we wanted to be when we grew up. Most days, I loved it. But some days, no good thoughts entered my head. Still, I had to fill that piece of paper. On more than one occasion, my work looked something like the following: I am writing to take up space.
I have to use all the lines, so I am writing these words to take up space on the paper. I can’t think of anything to write about except that I have nothing to write about.
I thought it was a clever way to solve my problem, but I don't think Mrs. Collins agreed.
Sometimes, I still feel that way about writing. I need to write a blog because it’s been a while, yet I don't want to write words just for the sake of writing words. I want them to be meaningful. Now, I pray for guidance and trust that the right words will be there at the "write" time.
I think about those writing assignments often, because it reminds me how I don't want to live. I don't want to live the way I wrote when the inspiration wouldn't come. I don't want to live just to take up space. I want to be more than a consumer of oxygen on this earth. I want to produce something meaningful and beautiful with the resources God has given me.
Just as a finite amount of lines decorate a page and just as pencils eventually become nubs, so our lives are but a mist that is here one moment and gone the next. We must be mindful to make the writing assignment of life more than vain words.
Write a good story. Fill the lines on the page well. Don't live just to take up space between the margins of birth and death. One day, the Teacher will review our work. With His help, may we want Him to discover our best effort.
Knowing life is short, give God your best each day.
(Photo courtesy of pixabay.)
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A great thought for all of us. Thank you for the reminder.
Thank you, Heather, for penning this meaningful devotion. It is important to live life to glorify our Creator. It brought to my mind John 10:10, that through Jesus, He gives us this abundant and fulfilling life.
What a creative approach to a devotional that inspires to live a life to honor to Him!