My Best Yet?

Breaking It All Down

Beginning My Writing

Good morning.

Just up from sleep and believe it or not, have finished my morning meditation and prayer. It is now time to do my blog for the day. Yes, it is in the wee hours of the morning that I do my best writing. My soul is being blessed, even as I write this.

First of all, when I started writing full-time, I learned to try several different times in the day to write. Had read some book on writing, and among other things, it suggested doing just that. It took me being patient, but I finally realized that my best time was in the wee hours of the morning.

Learning the Process

I learned to always have a pad and a pencil in each room of my house and in my purse because serious writing required such. It seemed that the words to a poem would hit me when I was in the midst of doing something complicated in one room and my notebook was in another. By the time that I got to my notebook, the words of the poem or the thought would have flown. As a result of one or two misses like that, I learned to have a pad in each room in my home. Consequently, I could quickly jot the thought down, no matter what room of my house I was in. Voila! I was now beyond the threshold.

Serious Writing

Once I crossed the threshold of serious writing, I had to learn what genre I wanted to write in. That was a process all its own. It seemed confusing to me when people asked me what genre? Learned that poetry and prose can be broken down into several categories and subcategories. Usually, I just picked up my pen and let it flow. I just wrote. Wrote whatever came up in my newly reawakened writer's mind. After several trials and after my first book of poetry, I realized that over 70% of my poetry was inspirational in nature. Found that my natural tendency to encourage people found its way into my writing through no conscious effort of my own. Well, to make a long story short, I realized that my poetry writing niche was the inspirational poetry one done in a freeform.

In my writing, I have become a sponge, soaking in new information and keeping and using that which felt right for and discarding the rest. I realized from listening to other writers at conferences, meetings, etc. that writing is an ever-learning process.

Reward

And my writing continues, and the learning process goes on. For I learned a long time ago that if your "want to" is strong enough and if you practice a thing long enough, you will become better at it.

My Work For the Lord

In a like manner, my walk as the Lord's child is a process, too.   I was set on a committed path a long time ago, and I am still committed to Him. When you walk with the Lord, and you really think about what He has done for you, you will always seek to do more for Him as you ask yourself, Have I given my best yet?"

I have learned that there are several things that I can do in service to the Lord.  And I have learned to do them well, whether it is "giving help, writing for the discouraged, sharing food, giving pats on the back or handshakes," etc. But you know, as I told you about my writing journey, there are several ministries that I can make my own, depending on which path the Lord chooses for me. That means that whatever I determine to do for Him, which thing(s) do I do best. What is it that I do that I really shine at while I am trying to do His will? Those are questions that each of us has to ask ourself, "What is my 'category' of work?"

A Work in Progress

In my walking as a Christian, I have learned to "desire the sincere milk of the word that I might grow thereby." (1 Peter 2:2 KJV) When I picked up that Bible and began to read, I became like a sponge. It seemed the more that I read, the more I wanted to know. I itched to read it, and so I did. I read, and I read.

Started using some of the things I remembered reading when I'd have discussions with other ladies about the Christian life. People would ask for my opinion about certain topics discussed in our ladies' Bible class, even if I was sitting there listening attentively. The first couple of times this happened to me, I was surprised about being singled out to answer questions or give an opinion. Then I noticed that when I answered, it seemed that everyone would lean forward or turn their head to hear what I was saying.

Early Days

This was all a part of a process of my refinement by the Lord, though I did not know it at the time. You see, this was early on in my youthful days as a new wife, whose husband had not started preaching yet. When I look back over the years, I can see the grooming to be a preacher's wife that was in the plan for my life. Yes, he did become a preacher and I have labored beside him these 40 years.

As a preacher's wife, there were several things that you are expected to be able to do well.  Though I used to be quiet, I had to put myself natural self on the back burner. Because the need arose for me to become a soldier of a spokesperson to women, I had to morph. That was a "Hard row to hoe," let me tell you. I talk a little bit about this in my new book, Chopping My Row.

But during my walk as His child, I learned to do like Momma always told me to do. And that is to do my best. Have I given my best yet?  Don't know because there are several things that I have yet to do because I have not finished living yet. But I can tell you this, I keep trying to do my best in anything that I do for Him because He gave His best for me. That is why you will often hear me say when I speak at ladies' days, that I am "Doing What I Can While I Can.

The Rewards

That does not mean giving a small pittance of myself to the Lord. It means that I am fully committed to Him, even to the sometimes discomfort of myself. But remember, every discomfort and everything that we have done in service to Him will pay off after a while. And you know what dear ones? It will be sweet, so sweet when we get over there! I want to go, don't you?

To Cap It Off

In conclusion, what is your thing that you do best and do you do it as a ministry for Him?  Are you there yet?

 

Doing the Best I Can, While I Can Because I Care,

Alma L. Stepping On Jones