“Nevertheless, each person should live as a believer in whatever situation the Lord has assigned to them, just as God has called them…” (1 Corinthians 7.17 NIV).
I did a literary public reading with several writers from my city at our local library. We didn’t have a large crowd, but sitting in a chair on the first row in front of the podium was my high school creative writing teacher who had since retired. When I started my freshmen year, the school didn’t offer any of the sports I played in middle school. There were no softball, volleyball or gymnastics teams (the school has now incorporated those teams into its extracurricular activities). The only sport I could compete in was track, so I lost my identity as an athlete. That’s when I began writing poetry. Then, I dabbled in short stories. Finally, in my senior year, I took creative writing. My teacher stretched my ability as a writer, which began a path of now two loves: athletics and writing. I was torn through college on what major to choose. Did I want to keep writing and major in English? Or did I want to pursue my fitness passion with a kinesiology degree? At the start of my junior year, my guidance counselor insisted I choose a major. As I walked into my bedroom one afternoon, I heard the Holy Spirit say, “You will be a writer.” I shrugged my shoulders and thought, “Well, I better start reading then.” I earned my B.A. Degree in English and went on to get my M.A. Degree in English, as well. Thus, the difficult and rewarding path of writing books began. By the time of my public reading at the local library, I had published over thirty books. When the reading was finished, my English teacher came to my table. I could tell he was proud of what I had accomplished, and I thanked him for igniting a passion for creative writing in me. God allowed me to see the full circle of what it looks like to pour into others. He was my creative writing teacher for only one semester, but his words and encouragement helped me choose the path of writing. Our actions may seem small. Our words may seem insignificant. But we will never know what a profound impact we can have on others by simply doing what we are called to do each day.
What is your calling in life? Does it seem small, or do you feel the importance of what you do each day? How can you use your daily actions and words to impact the lives of others?
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