Life of A Writer

I know the Lord blessed me with the ability to write, so when I share my blessings with others, it's my way of thanking the Lord for His many blessings. Not only do I share my blessings through writing, but I also share them in other ways.

Share Your Blessings by Helping Others

The Lord expects us to share our blessings with others, and to do that we should share our knowledge. We can share our knowledge by mentoring aspiring writers and speaking in public. Not only will the knowledge we share help and inspire others, but we'll feel good about ourselves afterwards. Besides, who knows, what you shared could spread when those you taught, helped and inspired goes on to share the blessing you helped them achieve with even more folks looking for a little assistance and inspiration.

Give Generously and With Sincerity

2 Corinthians Chapter 9 Verses 7 through 8 in the King James Version says, "Let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work." Basically, what this means is we must give out of generosity and with sincerity, and if we do, God will bless us even more.

How can we give financially to others out of generosity and with sincerity? Simple, by donating a portion of the profits from our writing to charity. Now I know many of you are probably thinking you don't make enough and won't donate until you can give a large amount to charity, because you'd be embarrassed to give a small amount when other well-known authors and writers can donate six figures. I've thought the same thing, but the truth is, the Lord only expects us to give what we can, and then later He may bless us with even more to give. If the day does come when the Lord blesses you with a large amount, then by all means, give even more, but until then, the Lord will be proud of you even if you're only able give $10.

Help Those in Need

Normally, I don't write for free, and yes, I know I said the Lord expects us to give, but we do that by giving to charity, as well as in other ways. The Lord knows we have to make a living, and in order to provide for our family, we have to charge for our services. However, a time may come when an organization that also gives is in need. When that time comes, we could be gracious enough to donate our services. Whether it's an article, brochure or short newsletter, it would be okay since it's for a good cause. By a good cause, I'm referring to organizations that help others. For example, maybe there's a church trying to raise funds to help a family in need, feel free to donate your writing services to help them out.

Back in November 2005 I donated a personal essay to the Stories of Strength anthology. A group of writers and editors wrote and published the anthology to help victims of natural disasters. When I donated my personal essay, I knew that 100% of the proceeds from each sale would go to disaster relief charities in the region, so I felt that was a good cause and was glad to be a part of it. In fact, not only did I donate a personal essay, but I donated my time and marketing experience to help promote the launch of the anthology, and I bought a copy to help support organizations such as the American Red Cross.

Share the Word

Have you written and published a children's book with a Christian message? Inspire and share the word with children by visiting hospitals. During your visit, read your book to the children, and then give some more by taking along a gift for each child. A great and affordable gift is a small guardian angel pin or a small teddy bear with angel wings.

Go ahead and start sharing your blessings today. Just as soon as you begin sharing those blessings, you'll feel good about yourself. Moreover, the Lord will bless you; it may not be when you want him too, but with faith and patience, He will bless you.
"Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for him." (Psalm 36:7; King James Version).

Posted by Misti Sandefur, Christian author/freelance writer at 4:12 AM