Confessions of a Blocked Writer...

You know the feeling. There you are, sitting at your computer, willing your fingers to type. And then all of a sudden you hear the gears rusting until they finally stop altogether. Everyone has been victim to this form of writer's block that usually occurs during the middle of a paper. Well, my friends, this blogger is blogged out. As I'm sitting here trying to think of something witty to say, it just won't come.

Any good author will tell you its useless to try to write while the writer's block is in motion. Even if you manage to create something, it will never measure up. So as I sit here, with only ideas for blogs, but no desire to actually write them just yet, a thought has occurred to me. Christ is the author and perfecter of our faith (Hebrews 12:2). And thank goodness He never gets writers block.

Any book can have a good plot. I mean, even the Bible has one. Have you read Revelation? What an ending! But what makes a good book, I think, is the characters. You can have the same setting over and over, but it will seem entirely different with other characters. And the main characters must not be flat, but rather well-rounded. The audience must see multiple sides. Thus, it only makes sense that this is where the author puts the most thought.

Christ does the same. He puts us in different situations, but the whole point is to develop our character. Because he cares more about it than our comfort. It's a test of our heart. (Proverbs 17:3). Godly character is the result of the Holy Spirit’s work of sanctifying us. Through every circumstance, every trial, every win, every loss, the goal is the same. To make us more like Christ.

And sometimes, a part needs re-written. Sometimes, we simply don't get it the first time. But it's the whole process of growth that creates the classics. In Pride and Prejudice you see Elizabeth evolve as she realizes who Mr. Darcy really is. Even though we know Les Miserables' Jean Valjean is a criminal, we cannot help but love him, because we see how he turns into a noble, gracious, and forgiving man.

So friends, this writer isn't so worried about not being able to come up with anything anymore. Because like I already said, Christ never gets writer's block. God is forever shaping and molding us to be more like His Son. He is the Potter. And it is because He loves us so much that He invests so much time into it. And believe it or not, He knows EXACTLY what He is doing. We don't always know the plot to the story of our lives, but that doesn't mean it hasn't been written. He is working in ways we can't even begin to imagine. And you know what, I think it's gonna be a pretty good book.

"As the excellence of gold is its purity and the excellence of art is its beauty, so the excellence of man is his character."