Just Show Up

The day after I spoke at a woman's brunch, a friend who had attended called me to rave about how everyone loved it and that God was using my words to touch hearts.

Huh? I thought. That had to be the worst presentation I've ever done. I'd neglected to mention two of my five key points, dropped three pages of notes, which fanned out across the floor for me to unceremoniously squat in my skirt and retrieve, tripped over a microphone cord, and forgot the lyrics to the song I wrote. What else could have gone wrong?

I ruminated on my friend's erroneous impressions. She had even commented that it was refreshing to see a Christian woman who looked stylish and not dowdy and boring like many of the speakers they'd had in the past. She said it added to the lively spirit and excitement of the born-again message of joy we should all exude. Ha! I guess she didn't notice the red magic marker I'd scribbled into all the scuff marks on the old red pumps I'd worn with the hand-me-down suit given to me by a neighbor.

Then I realized that the person my friend saw speaking was not actually me. Thankfully, the Holy Spirit had miraculously interceded somewhere between the real speaker and the person the audience thought they saw.

My conclusion? God can use anyone and anything to His glory if we just show up.

It's the same with our writing. We don't have to be Liz Curtis Higgs or Dr. Gary Chapman. If we're sincerely writing for God's glory, He has the power to intercede between the written page and the minds of our readers so that they glean the exact timely message He has for them.

All we have to do is show up hour after hour, day after day, plunked into our computer chairs, pounding those keys to the best of our ability. The results are up to Him.