“This will be written for the generation to come, that a people yet to be created may praise the LORD.” Psalm 102:18

To Write or Not to Write–That is the Question

It seems as though the Lord is not going to let up on this one. He has placed this on my heart, in a way I can no longer ignore. It has come to my attention that writers are in the minority. What’s so important about writing? I’m glad you asked! What if Moses had told God that he was not capable and totally inadequate? Oh yeah—he did!—but that was in regard to speaking, not writing. What if Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John felt someone could write better than they, and left their work undone? What if our forefathers had decided it was too much trouble to record history for us?

I had given my father a book entitled The Memory Book. It was a book of questions to answer about your past with lines below for the answer. Who was your favorite teacher, and why? What were some of your favorite games to play with your friends? Easy, right? Not for my dad. The “Memory Book” pages sat blank collecting no memories but lots of dust. Daddy was, however, a “fact man.” What he did do is what he could do. He painstakingly wrote down the chronological history of our family for my sister and me including all of our children. He recorded our births and marriages, our children and their marriages and children. It took him many long, tedious hours, but he wanted to leave us some kind of legacy. It was what he could do.

I am so thankful that he pushed himself to do this for us. What a treasure it is now for our family. When we come across something written by his own hand, it is very precious to us. I saved cards that were signed and written by my mother, and sometimes she would insist that he write something, at least sign his name on the card. Those cards are very precious to me now that they are together in heaven with Jesus.

I am blessed with a son-in-law that will willingly write something on cards to us. That is meaningful and precious to me. I love to read what he wrote even if it is just “Thanks for being terrific grandparents to our boys.” It is written by him and I cherish what my daughter and her husband write on our cards.

“You, Lord, gave us Your written Word through Your Holy Spirit. We cherish Your every word. You have given us the gift of words to communicate Your love to others. Use our words on paper to reach out to help others and touch their hearts with Your love. Help us to leave our children and grandchildren a written legacy of Your faithfulness to us. Help us to do what we can do. Amen.”