This one is for my writer friends. The ones who have a way with words and have always just inherently known this is their gift and calling, a whisper and assurance in their spirit. 

There are so many incredible resources on creativity, discipline, and growing your craft. Some of my favorites are Hannah Brencher, Julia Cameron, and Shauna Niequist. I urge you to seek out their expertise and insights. They’ve certainly blessed my journey. 

Today, I want to remind you of a few things about this gift of yours, going back to the very beginning, before you even put it into practice. If you are on fire to get the words burning inside of you on paper, this is for you. If you are so busy you haven’t had time to think about this passion for however long, this is for you. And if you are in a different place in life right now than you ever imagined, not pouring over the page like you always thought you would be, lean in. I’ve got some thoughts for you, friend. 

1. It may seem like everyone thinks this way and has the desire to write, but that’s not true. Not everyone strings beautiful sentences together in their mind; journals for hours on end; or has visions and dreams about literary projects. I used to think everyone felt this way, but they don’t. This is a precious, unique gift from God. It’s how he wired you specifically, on purpose for a purpose. I want you to keep this in mind; the way you think and your desires have been intentionally planted inside you. This leads me to my next point.

2. You don’t have to be a full-time writer to write. If life has taken you in a different direction than you hoped or imagined, take a deep breath. It’s okay. This is true for almost all of us. If you dreamed of being an author, blogger, journalist, professional word-smither, and idea-sharer and you’re not currently getting paid to do so, it’s okay. You must know—you don’t have to be in a 9-5 as a writer to get going. You can start writing the book, publishing the blog posts, and mining for gold in the words overflowing in your morning journal time. Don’t believe the lie you have to be doing it full-time for it to count or for God to use you. Our obedience to Him, especially when it’s not clearly convenient, is an act of worship in itself. Got the itch to write and stir the creativity within you? As one of the greatest brand taglines of all time says—just do it. 

3. Finally, in love, I say don’t forget about your gift. Don’t let it sit in the back drawer where the dust bunnies will smother it. Whether you remember the exact moment you knew you were a writer or not (for many of us, it was always just a deep knowing). This gift was intricately, lavishly hand-wrapped from the maker of Heaven and Earth. For you. He didn’t give it to you for no reason. So pretty please, don’t neglect it. Put it into practice. Experimentwith what works for you and what you naturally like to write about. 

This gift doesn’t make us more special than any of God’s other kids, who all have different gifts of their own. Ultimately, this gift is not about us at all. It’s about Him, having so perfectly created all His children with different gifts. So let’s meet with Him and put pen to paper, amen?