Wednesday, November 29, 2017

Let My Words Be Few


by Heather Iseminger @Hiseminger


I can’t remember a time when my pencil didn’t scratch across paper or my fingers didn’t tap, tap, tap on a keyboard.

Writing is part of the air that fills my lungs and allows me to breathe. Crafting sentences into ideas is the way I express my most authentic self. I’m sure you can relate.

So what happens when God whispers, stop?

When you no longer have words to string together? When it’s not stress or busyness staving off the flow of creativity? When you can’t push through the mental blank space? When you try all the tricks to inspire but the tricks don’t work?

What happens when God says, your words will be sparse today, this week, this month, this year, and maybe longer? 

I’ll tell you what happens.

The writer panics. Or at least this one does.

A little over a year ago, God’s voice spoke those words in my heart and fear welled-up.

I went from blogging almost weekly to writing just 15 blogs in 12 months. Anxiety refused to be tamped down as I recounted all of the blogging dos I wasn’t doing.

What would happen to my platform? How would I continue to be a voice? What was God thinking? Didn’t He know I had to write each week to keep pushing forward?

I was going to lose my audience. I was sure of it.

I questioned God at every turn.

He answered. But not with what I wanted to hear.

Let your words be few…so you can hear Mine.

His words of conviction burned deep in my soul.

I began to listen.

I stopped begging God to give back my words, and I pressed into Him. I leaned into His voice. I sank into my Creator, the Word—the master Artist. Like no other time in my life, if I wanted to write, I would have to wait on the Lord. Trust in His timing.

I’m not a patient person.

But God? He can wait for an eternity.

So when the God-induced writer’s block creeps up and camps out, maybe it’s because I’m supposed to learn more of Him—no matter how long it takes.

I have to tamp down the panic that bubbles up and sink into trust. I have to trust that God’s plan for my life is good even if it’s not my plan.

Trust.

The white space blinking on my computer? It’s an invitation to trust my Father.



Heather Iseminger is a self-proclaimed hoarder of words and caffeine addict. She holds a BA in English Writing from FSU and an MA in Christian Education from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. She and her Prince Charming, Mike, have been married for 19 years and have two children, Ella and Caleb. Five days a week Heather’s in her high school English classroom with coffee in hand, surrounded by the students she adores. When she’s not juggling family and teaching, she’s an award-winning freelance author and blogger. You can find her heart at PetalsofJoy.org and connect with her on Twitter and Facebook.

19 comments:

  1. I needed to hear this Heather. Thank you so much for sharing your experience with Him.

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    2. Thank you so much, Julie. He is good to us--even when we might disagree. It's a lesson I keep having to learn over and over again.

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  2. My heart skipped a bit as I read through your post.I had a similar experience in January and it's transformed my time with God as well as my writing. Thank you for sharing, Heather. It's nice meeting you here!

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    1. Lovely to meet you too, Cathy! It is fully transforming. I have such a hard time trusting, even though God hasn't failed me even once.

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  3. Thank you Heather. Your post is God's timing in my life as I struggle with putting words on a page. Everything you expressed here, I am experiencing right now in my writing life. I am learning to wait and trust God. Hearing it said by someone else is just a confirmation that God's timing is perfect. Your words were a blessing to me today. Thank you.

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    1. I love when God knows the intricacies of our lives and works to speak to us. I'm so grateful God has confirmed His timing with you. Beautiful.

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  4. Amazing! I was beginning to think this young lady was a mind reader. Thank you Ms. Heather for sharing this important message. After I retired, I was stopped from writing for nearly three years. Then, during a morning prayer, God said "Go." What a blessing to know that from time to time, we have to take a break so God can refill us. Thank You, and God's blessings...

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    1. Thank you for your encouraging words, Jim! I am learning to be grateful for the times God forces me to refuel. They are powerful times of trust and growth.

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  5. Thank you Heather. I really needed to read this post today.You remind me to lean harder on God. I can do this. God Bless you.

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  6. Thank you for sharing this insight, Heather! This is a great perspective to fill those blank spaces when the words don't flow.

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  7. It happened to me too! I know exactly what you're talking about. Guess what? When I cut back on my blogging frenzied blogging schedule, my comments increased and my work felt more authentic.

    Great post! xo

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  8. This is exactly where I've been since February. Deeply sunk into His Word, relishing every minute of time alone with Him, wondering if I'll write again (other than journaling), emerging with a heart to write again. Thank you, thank you, thank you for this post!

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  9. This is true for all of us. When I find myself struggling to create a blog post, I realize it could be time for a break. I follow the advice of Jennifer Banks-Brown and schedule breaks around the major holidays. This helps me get back ready to write.

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