So... I read an article on my friend, Carla's blog. I have written about her on my blog before and have recommended her before. In this particular post she talks about one blogger's vision for a directory of Christian bloggers to help promote accountability. Which, on the surface sounds all good and 'Christianly' but Carla has reservations. Then I read the comments for her article and Steve Camp of Camp onThis fame has responded. I have also recommended his blog a number of times. For those of you who don't want to click the links, this is a brief synopsis. Some guy wants to have a Christian bloggers directory for accountability purposes, Carla questions the need since accountability begins in the bloggers local church, and she fears it will set up a click of bloggers who are "in" and those who are "out." Steve drives the point home and signs his comment "Don't waste your blog..."
That's the part that has me spinning. "Don't waste your blog." I have maybe 3 regular readers of my blog, one is my pastor. I do not disagree with Carla or Steve in this matter. If I am a couple bubbles off plumb, I want my pastor to come level me out. I want him to cut the Word straight with me. That's not what this post is about or I would have just commented on Carla's blog. It's the idea of not wasting your blog coupled with some comments Carla makes earlier, "Simple, you be yourself. Blog the way you blog, and don't worry too much about it. If you love the Lord, and you're a Christian who happens to blog, your readers will know it. "
I write here, for the most part, because I don't do anything else. It's not that I haven't tried to find something to do, it's that for reasons of His own, God has closed every door I have rattled or tried to open. It's a humbling experience. I am used to being productive. I am used to being the employee that excels. I have received everything from letters of commendation from politicians to a bronze medal. I love working hard and being the best I can be at what I do.... but that's all changed. I am jobless. I am missionless. I have fretted about it, cried about it, been ticked off about it, been depressed about it, been frustrated about it and felt worthless because of it. Each time I complained about it to a friend they said, "You should be writing." None of them told me what I should be writing, but without exception I have been encouraged to write.
I don't write with eloquence. I am not technically correct and I am not published anywhere. It's taken me almost a year to remember what I named my blog and it's only the last few months that I have written with any continuity. I wonder why I am blogging. I would certainly be one of the 'out' crowd that Carla mentioned. I am not controversial or profound. I do not exegete Scripture or take on doctrine. Am I wasting my blog? Should I be geared to do something differently here? Should I be blogging at all?
One of the young women I mentored while working at a Christian college mentioned my name in her graduation interview. She and I met for a while and I tried very hard to impart wisdom to her. She was willing to learn and I wanted so badly to teach her what I knew. I tried to make every moment count- nothing but profundity from me. Once during our regular meeting time, I had to go shopping for a special event I was doing and asked her if we could hold our meeting while shopping. She said sure and we went to several stores while I picked up the supplies I needed. I felt like I was short changing her so I really tried to talk about important things and ask her deep questions. When I found out she mentioned me as having an impact on her life while at college, I immediately thought of the pearls of wisdom I lavished on her that day. Do you know what she told them? She told them all about the day we went shopping and how I saw something that I thought was really cute and I wanted it for myself but put it down and said, "Thank you, Lord you're right, I don't need that it's a want." Two hours of well planned morsels of wisdom and she was impressed by 5 seconds of resisting an impulse buy.
Proverbs 16:9 The mind of man plans his way, but the LORD directs his steps. (NAS)
Be yourself- don't waste your blog... be yourself- don't waste your blog....be yourself- don't waste your blog.
That's the part that has me spinning. "Don't waste your blog." I have maybe 3 regular readers of my blog, one is my pastor. I do not disagree with Carla or Steve in this matter. If I am a couple bubbles off plumb, I want my pastor to come level me out. I want him to cut the Word straight with me. That's not what this post is about or I would have just commented on Carla's blog. It's the idea of not wasting your blog coupled with some comments Carla makes earlier, "Simple, you be yourself. Blog the way you blog, and don't worry too much about it. If you love the Lord, and you're a Christian who happens to blog, your readers will know it. "
I write here, for the most part, because I don't do anything else. It's not that I haven't tried to find something to do, it's that for reasons of His own, God has closed every door I have rattled or tried to open. It's a humbling experience. I am used to being productive. I am used to being the employee that excels. I have received everything from letters of commendation from politicians to a bronze medal. I love working hard and being the best I can be at what I do.... but that's all changed. I am jobless. I am missionless. I have fretted about it, cried about it, been ticked off about it, been depressed about it, been frustrated about it and felt worthless because of it. Each time I complained about it to a friend they said, "You should be writing." None of them told me what I should be writing, but without exception I have been encouraged to write.
I don't write with eloquence. I am not technically correct and I am not published anywhere. It's taken me almost a year to remember what I named my blog and it's only the last few months that I have written with any continuity. I wonder why I am blogging. I would certainly be one of the 'out' crowd that Carla mentioned. I am not controversial or profound. I do not exegete Scripture or take on doctrine. Am I wasting my blog? Should I be geared to do something differently here? Should I be blogging at all?
One of the young women I mentored while working at a Christian college mentioned my name in her graduation interview. She and I met for a while and I tried very hard to impart wisdom to her. She was willing to learn and I wanted so badly to teach her what I knew. I tried to make every moment count- nothing but profundity from me. Once during our regular meeting time, I had to go shopping for a special event I was doing and asked her if we could hold our meeting while shopping. She said sure and we went to several stores while I picked up the supplies I needed. I felt like I was short changing her so I really tried to talk about important things and ask her deep questions. When I found out she mentioned me as having an impact on her life while at college, I immediately thought of the pearls of wisdom I lavished on her that day. Do you know what she told them? She told them all about the day we went shopping and how I saw something that I thought was really cute and I wanted it for myself but put it down and said, "Thank you, Lord you're right, I don't need that it's a want." Two hours of well planned morsels of wisdom and she was impressed by 5 seconds of resisting an impulse buy.
Proverbs 16:9 The mind of man plans his way, but the LORD directs his steps. (NAS)
Be yourself- don't waste your blog... be yourself- don't waste your blog....be yourself- don't waste your blog.
Comments
you ask the right questions:
"I wonder why I am blogging. I would certainly be one of the 'out' crowd that Carla mentioned. I am not controversial or profound. I do not exegete Scripture or take on doctrine. Am I wasting my blog?"
I can't answer the first one, but I definitely can answer the second one from my perspective and the answer is a very loud NO.
There are folks who'll recommend to bloggers that to gain readership, that they should do this, and that, and present themselves this way or that way and that will draw folks in. While there is some wisdom in doing practical things to making a blog more enjoyable to visit, the one thing bloggers should never do, is put on a phoney baloney front about who they really are. Some do, but you don't.
You're real, where you are in your walk with the Lord is real, where you've been in life has given you insights that many other believers don't have yet, and what you have to offer is valuable.
You are an encouragement and a blessing in my life, and I'm GLAD you've revived this blog.
You're my one-woman cheering squad! :)
Why do you think I read you every day? :)
The kinder and gentler me says, aw...thanks bro! :)