mother teresaThere are times when the bracing wisdom of Bl. Teresa of Calcutta is the only thing that will do. I am paraphrasing her advice, as wisdom for writers, because I need it right now! Maybe you do, too.

People often fail to give you feedback. Write it anyway.

If you are quite skilled, people may accuse you of showing off. Write it anyway.

If you are successful, you will win some false friends and some true enemies. Write it anyway.

If you are generous, people may turn your free gift to their own profit. Write it anyway.

What you spend years writing, someone could steal in a moment. Write it anyway.

If you have a sense of humor, they may accuse you of flippancy. Write it anyway.

If you are passionate, they’ll say “simmer down,” or “now, now”. Write it anyway.

If you speak with the mind of the Church, they’ll probably all be offended. Write it anyway.

The words you write today, people will often forget tomorrow. Write it anyway.

Give from the bottom of your heart, and it probably won’t be enough. Write it anyway.

If you find joy in your work, they’ll say you don’t need to be paid. Write it anyway.

You see, in this case, it actually is between you and them. That’s the nature of writing: to be a mediator between persons, to be a form for transmission of a message. Your words are helping to weave back together an invisible, broken network of connection between Church and world, man and woman, Christ and His Body, parents and children, cause and effect, ideals and reality, nature and mankind, Catholics and Christians, etc…

Words are between us. Ultimately, whatever ‘it’ is for you, is between you and God. But Word people are supposed to try to articulate connections from self to fellow man, and from fellow man to God. The world is depending on people of the Word to remake the shredded fabric of human society. They don’t realize it, because the matrix of Holy Wisdom is invisible to the eyes of unbelief.

Write it anyway!

 

6 Replies to “Write it Anyway”

  1. Charlotte, I was browsing the Whole CWG website and “just happened” to click on your name & read this…praise God for His mercy! This will hang around my desk forever. Thank you for responding to the call of His Spirit.

  2. Charlotte, you are always so generous with your gifts and with your promotion and encouragement of others’ talents. Rather than being self-absorbed, you seem to spend every minute truly engaged in doing the will of the Father, rather than being caught up in your own ambitions. What a blessing to God’s people. 🙂 Thank you!

  3. This is excellent. I just had to share it on Facebook and Twitter. I also pinned it to my Pinterest writing board to reread whenever I need the encouragement.

  4. God’s timing and your obedience results in perfect timing for me. I too needed so much to hear this today. Keep on writing girl. You are touching and stirring many souls. And I my friend, I am one of those souls. God bless.

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