"For skillful and godly Wisdom is better than rubies or pearls,
and all the things that may be desired are not to be compared with it." Proverbs 8:11 Amplified

Wednesday, January 13, 2010

Yes or No?




“What would have happened to Mary (and to all the rest of us) if she had said No to the angel? She was free to do so. But she said, Yes. She was obedient, and the artist, too, must be obedient to the command of the work, knowing that this involves long hours of research, of throwing out a month’s work, of going back to the beginning, or, sometimes, scrapping the whole thing. The artist, like Mary, is free to say No. When a shoddy novel is published the writer is rejecting the obedient response, taking the easy way out. But when the words mean even more than the writer knew they meant, then the writer has been listening. And sometimes when we listen, we are led into places we do not expect, into adventures we do not always understand.” Madeline L’Engle

Whatever we write, when we are writing for the Kingdom, fiction or non-fiction, God has a purpose for that article, book or even a blog. That purpose may be to bring light to one person who has been in darkness, hope to someone who has been feeling hopeless. If a person is crying out to God He will answer that plea and you may be the one He has chosen to use, but if you say No, I’m too busy right now, what is lost?

At times our desperate cries to God seem to go unanswered, it is not because God did not hear, it’s because someone did not listen to His summons or they refused to respond with a Yes. Even though we are free to say No, we will be held responsible for our missed moments.

There have been many times in my life, and there will be many more, when I was the one calling out to God and He answered with words that someone was obedient to pen. I am indebted to those who said Yes.

Will you say Yes when He summons you?




Photos: Yahoo Images

6 comments:

Janna Leadbetter said...

Quite an important post, Diane! If we're called, we're to be faithful and steadfast.

It's important to realize a calling is in place to assist and touch others; that with writers, God plans our words and themes for help. It's incredible we can be vehicles for something so powerful.

Jan Parrish said...

Yes! Great post.

Diane Marie Shaw said...

Janna, It is such a huge responsibility to be a writer. Our words will still be out there when we are gone. You realize that you better be hearing God. :)

Jan, Thanks for saying YES. So glad we got to spend some time together yesterday.

Kristen Torres-Toro said...

Yes! And my hope is to say, "yes" immediately, without reservation or hesitation.

Diane Marie Shaw said...

Kristen, That is one of the keys, immediate obedience. I want to be saying yes to that too.

Denise Miller Holmes said...

I liked this part of the quote: "But when the words mean even more than the writer knew they meant, then the writer has been listening." Lord, help me to hear your voice and write words that have wisdom beyond my own! Thank you, Diane, for the post.