I Pledge That
I will not allow my negative voice to guide my thinking or stop my creative process. I will surround myself with people who love me and support my writing.
How easy it is to listen to the wrong voices. In my book If I Should Die one of the characters had a problem. He had all sorts of voices in his head mostly telling him negative things like, You’re gonna die.
My editor at the time told me I had to change this exchange. I couldn’t have his point of view it had to be shifted back to my main character, but…
That gave me a problem. He wasn’t the main character, but life is more than one character and a story that revolves around only one character feels shallow. Like stone soup with only a stone for the soup.
One day when my grandson Toben was a wee bit of a pollywog I called my daughter and Toben answered. When he answered I said, Well, hello my favorite Toby. He was so excited and said, that’s me, that’s me…
I thought at the time how often are we allowed to make someone feel special like they are our ‘favorite person’? And what a special privilege that is.
Matthew 8:3 And Jesus put forth his hand, and touched him, saying, I will; be thou clean. And immediately his leprosy was cleansed.
Some time ago it was pointed out that throughout the scriptures Jesus touched people in healing them as in the example above. For a leper who had to cover his face and cry out in warning, “Unclean, unclean,” how basic the need to be touched is and to them, it was denied, until—Jesus’ touch.
Mark 9:20 And they brought him unto him: and when he saw him, straightway the spirit tare him; and he fell on the ground, and wallowed foaming.
21 And he asked his father, How long is it ago since this came unto him? And he said, Of a child.
22 And ofttimes it hath cast him into the fire, and into the waters, to destroy him: but if thou canst do any thing, have compassion on us, and help us.
23 Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.
24 And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.
What an encouragement when the heart for mercy craves, isn’t it the human way to do life, we wait until all else fails then we turn to God and Jesus? Of course, this parent hadn’t had many options until he brought his son to Jesus. Yet, even after 2000 years people still wait until turning to the Lord is the last resort.
We don’t always know when and how we will be able to reach out and encourage people. We don’t always know who needs the encouragement.
I am amazed at how important school bus drivers have become in children’s lives nowadays. One of the reasons Old Fuzzy has stuck with this aspect of his life is the rapport he has built with his school bus kids.
Many of the children begin their trek to school as four-year-olds going to pre-school. And he has been carrying them to school from pre-school into high school. We try to provide treats for Thanksgiving and Christmas for the kids.
A few years ago we provided a homemade treat and a candy cane. One first-time bus rider when given his treat looked at it in wonder and awe. “For me?” he said. “For me? No one has ever given me a present before…”
I don’t know about anyone else, but how could anyone not tear up when I think of that poor child.
2 Corinthians 5:18 And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;
19 To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.
20 Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God.
