Lord Have Mercy

Every June I look forward to attending the Christian Writers Workshop in Cedar Falls. The registration just opened this weekend and I couldn't wait to print it out and fill in my information. I am always humbled when I come to the area where I am to list my previous writing/publishing experience: Beginning, Intermediate, or Advanced. The workshop instructors are published book authors. I'm truly humbled in their midst.

"To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everybody else, Jesus told this parable: "Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood up and prayed about himself: 'God, I thank you that I am not like other men--robbers, evildoers, adulterers--or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.' 

"But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, 'God, have mercy on me, a sinner.' "I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted," (Luke 18:9-14 NIV).

The writers' conference always blesses me because I am so inspired by what everyone else is doing. Some have books being published and another one in the works! Others have contracts for several books ahead. They are working with agents and publishers and taking on speaking engagements to promote their works. Some self-publish books and are out promoting the sale of the books.

That has never been a burning drive for me--to publish a book. Perhaps that will change in the future but now I am happy to write a twice-weekly blog and hope that it brings a blessing to a few people's day. I am honored to share this very humble gift of writing on a very primitive level. But, I still want to get better at what I do. My hope is that I grow as a Christian the more I write. Researching scriptures and topics helps me learn more and keeps my nose in the Bible - where it should be.

Lord, have mercy on me, a sinner. Help me to share my constant struggle with sinfulness with others so together we can learn and grow to be more like Jesus every day. Amen.