Sacrificial Writing

by Bruce Brady @BDBrady007

I can’t believe it. The Messiah is in my neighborhood. I’ve got to see what this man looks like. I mean, I’ve heard so much about him, he must be 10 feet tall or something.

Oh great. The street is already lined four or five deep with people. And everyone is taller than I am. Even the kids. There must be a way to get at least a glimpse of this man named Jesus.

Wait—I can climb that tree over there.

It’s a good thing the branches start near the ground or I wouldn’t have been able to get up here.

What’s that? You want to have dinner at my house? You don’t know how happy this makes me. Wait ‘til I tell everyone that you will be dining at my house.

Jesus, I want to do whatever is necessary to become your friend. I’ll give half my wealth to the poor. And if anyone thinks I’ve cheated them, I’ll pay them four times what I took from them. I’m only interested in pleasing you.

Zacchaeus, the man in our story, was so committed to building a relationship with someone that he was willing to sacrifice much to accomplish that goal. His desire to know Jesus became a top priority.

As writers, we must prioritize our writing in a similar manner. I’m not saying we should ignore God, our families, or other obligations, but we shouldn’t use them, or anything, as an excuse not to write.

Ignoring our call or talent will not rest well with our souls. So, we must write. And we must do so on a regular basis. We need to write to improve our skills. We need to write because others need to read or hear our words. Our words are more than just a nice little story or a few educational tidbits. To some, they provide the answers they seek. To others, they’re the escape from reality they need.

Our word crafting is more than just a passing fancy. It’s answering our summons—fulfilling our destinies. If we write only to satisfy ourselves, then our talents may atrophy. When writing to serve others, our talents will grow. And we’ll be richly rewarded, beyond mere monetary compensation.

If we truly want a career as a writer, then, like our vertically challenged friend above, we must be willing to sacrifice whatever we must to attain that goal. We have to spend time honing our craft when we really want to be doing something else. Improving our skills late at night may become necessary to avoid sacrificing time with our families. Other obligations may necessitate our waking up early to get in our word count for the day.

Being a writer isn’t easy. But, if we can’t live without writing, then we must dedicate ourselves to do whatever it takes to get our words in front of others. We must commit ourselves to being the best writers we can be. We must do it for our readers. We must do it for ourselves.

How about you? Please comment on the sacrifices you’ve made for your writing. Let’s keep the conversation going.

TWEETABLES

Ignoring our call to #write will not rest well with our souls - @BDBrady007 on @EdieMelson (Click to Tweet)

We must prioritize our #writing - thoughts from @BDBrady007 on @EdieMelson (Click to Tweet)

Bruce Brady is an author, writer and playwright. His work has appeared in Focus on the Family’s Thriving Family, www.ChristianDevotions.us, and on stage. Currently, Bruce is working on a Young Adult Novel about a boy who must deal with the death of his dad, being bullied, and helping his mom through her grief. His first five pages took third place in the ACFW South Carolina Chapter’s “First Five Pages” contest.

When he’s not writing, Bruce spends time learning from and helping other writers. He serves as Mentor of Word Weavers International’s Online Chapter, and as a member of Cross ‘N’ Pens, The Writer’s Plot, ACFW’s National and South Carolina Chapters.

“My dream is to entertain my readers and give them hope as they travel the rocky road of life.”