Why am I writing this? That’s a thought that pops into my mind occasionally. It’s not because I have all this extra time I don’t know what to do with; I don’t wake up from my afternoon nap and meander to the keyboard for fun. As a pastor, my to-do list outstretches any hope of completion every day. So why add something else to it — something else I don’t have to do?
I answered this question, in part, on my very first post on this blog over four years ago. In a lot of ways, the answer hasn’t changed.
First of all, I enjoy writing. I like putting words together. Fortunately, my job as a pastor gives me lots of opportunities to do this, as I’m often writing sermons, devotions, newsletter articles, and whatever else shows up. My job requires a lot in the area of communication. Writing is a simple act of communicating. So I want to get better at it. I want to practice it in a setting that isn’t dictated by the situation, by what I have to do to complete the task at hand. I enjoy the opportunity to write and let the words flow.
Side note: I have a memory of the time when writing came the easiest it ever has for me. It was in college. I was taking a lot of Spanish classes, including one in Spanish composition. It wasn’t easy to be assigned writing tasks in a language I was learning. Every sentence, every paragraph, was effort. It never came easy.
But then, that same semester, I occasionally had to write a paper in English. It was so simple! The words just poured out of my fingers. I filled pages effortlessly; all I had to do was think it and it was there.
I guess what I’m saying is that I keep writing now to recapture some of that feeling. I keep writing so that all my writing and communication will be better and more fluid.
So I’m not trying to write on hot topics, or something I think will get me shares on Facebook. I’m writing for myself. I’m stretching and working the writing-muscle, eager to watch my strength increase as I go. I hope it’s working!
Oh, and by the way, if your question is Why am I reading this? Sorry. I can’t help you there.
Pastor Walters Has A Blog 