by Martin Wiles @LinesFromGod
After administering their weekly spelling quiz, I stood before my sixth- and seventh-grade classes and explained the topic of their first formal essay.
As they looked at the writing on the wall (the overhead screen), groans reverberated throughout the room. "That's not our assignment for today, is it?" a few dared to ask.
Although I was not technically their writing teacher, they still received plenty of writing instruction and practice in grammar class. And since their writing teacher didn't assign essays to sixth graders—and had not yet assigned one to the seventh graders—I figured, why not?
I also thought the timing of the topic was appropriate for the final day of the nine weeks. Our private school requires AR (accelerated reading) goals for all sixth and seventh graders. Some read diligently and meet their goals early in the nine weeks. Most, especially many of the boys, put off reading until the last two weeks. Then, their pace turns frantic. They don't want a zero for a test grade or to be put on restriction by their parents. Thus, the rat race—a race for which I have little sympathy.
Why? Well, while I was growing up, Dad familiarized me with a famous saying about procrastination: "Don't put off until tomorrow what you can do today." I suppose he thought it was biblical and practical—and it is. Jesus said, "We must quickly carry out the tasks assigned us by the one who sent us. The night is coming, and then no one can work (John 9:4 NLT). God's work is urgent.
I gave my students my ditty for writing an essay—it also works for other types of writing: "Tell me what you're going to tell me, tell me, and tell me what you told me." The saying takes care of the introduction, body, and conclusion—something devotions, short stories, plays, articles, research papers, novellas, and books all need. And since I'm a planner, not a pantster, I love organization.
Yes, I wanted them to learn the art of writing well, but the more important lesson I wanted them to grasp involved procrastination. We writers often struggle with this, too, and it houses dangers.
For my students, the dangers might only entail a lousy grade or parental restriction. For writers, procrastination could mean missing a writing contest, missing a crucial deadline—which might impact future writing opportunities—missing an appointment with an agent or editor, missing sleep we would have enjoyed had we planned better, or many other things that could impact our writing career.
The reasons we procrastinate are as varied as the things it can cause us to miss: fear of failure or rejection, busyness, misplaced priorities, lack of energy, and stubbornness.
In academic life, we teachers impose deadlines on students, which spurs them on and hopefully teaches them not to procrastinate. Publishers, agents, and editors do the same in the writing life because they, too, have deadlines that make it essential that we writers meet our deadlines. The world of writers, editors, agents, and publishers revolves better when all do what they do on time.
God's call to write is a beautiful gift that provides us with blessed opportunities to touch the world for him. Procrastination, however, interferes with us doing our best at that. Let's write well and be good stewards of the time and opportunities God provides. Don't put off until tomorrow what you need to do today. God provides the courage and wisdom to do today what we need to do today.
TWEETABLE
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