Blessings

Last night, at prayer meeting, we read Psalm 1.

"Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful; but his delight is in the law of Lord, and in His law doth he meditate day and night; and he shall be like a tree, planted by the rivers of water that bringeth forth fruit in his season. His leaf also shall not whither, and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper..."

"Blessed" - to be happy, content, satisfied

I also got thinking of that phrase "shall prosper."

As I pursue my writing career, I'm advised on all sides of the best ways to have my writing published-how to prosper. I'm asked to boast about articles that I've sold. I'm directed to contests that pay high amounts. Agents look for contracts that secure good royalties. There's a thrill to receive a check in the mail for my writing, and I want more.

But...

My heart is filled with a deeper satisfaction when I receive a message from someone saying something I wrote has touched their life. When I can lift a saddened heart, when I can encourage someone to stand strong, when I can point someone to Christ...that's worth more than any dollar amount.

My writing time has become more and more filled with working with Bibles International. I am honored to have been asked to work with a team of linguists, to write Bible stories as reading primers. I can't translate, but I can help others read, so that they can soon read the Bible in their own language. It's a joy to serve the Lord in this way.

I've written a missionary story for kids of Fernando, a Mexican boy who didn't have God's Word in Tenek. It wasn't until he went to school and learned Spanish that he learned of God's gift of salvation. Now, he and his wife are working to bring the Bible to his people. Fron the first time I heard Fernando's story, I knew God wanted me to write it. I don't expect it to be a  best-seller on the market, but it may spur a young person to serve the Lord on the mission field.
Sending the words of hymns each morning takes time, but I am blessed as I type them out. When we sing them in church, we sometimes don't think of the meaning of each word. Sometimes, I will wake with a hymn on my mind, and often someone will reply with a thanks, telling me how God used that particular song to encourage them that day. It makes it worth the effort.

So...if I never get rich as an author, if I never have a best seller and go on book-signing tours, or my book never made into a movie, that's okay.
I've been blessed already.

Lord, use me. May I be grounded in Your rivers of water so deeply, that they flow through my writings. Use them to bless all those who need refreshing. May I be satisfied with the joy of serving You. Amen