Why Do I Write?

Why Do I Write?

This is perhaps a very poignant question since some have inquired about my efforts to put on paper my thoughts pertaining to God, inspired by the Holy Spirit, and the feeling of an infinity towards expressing what I deem as God’s way of allowing my gifts received at ordination to explore the unknown, yet what is known through God to be expressed by me.

Let’s go back several years; perhaps 70 or more, to a time when there were many incidents that in retrospect now reflect God’s continued protection of my maturing life. I can now understand why the Lord has always kept me in good hands via angels and a watchful eye on my growth especially that which is holy or the journey towards God’s waiting arms.

As my life continues into the Autumn of my life (at 80 + years) and there can not be too many sunrises left before I join those who have gone on before me, the time left is very important to what my giftedness is able to put into prose or poetry. Usually, when I sit to compose words come to me very easily and most times rather quickly. I would be the first to realize and express candidly that the Holy Spirit is and has always been the impetus behind the reflections or poetry accountable to my name on the work accomplished.

Each of us should, but usually do not, openly express the presence of God in our lives beyond our everyday activities, as meaningful or inspired, and given opportunities to present God to those around us. Leave it to those who are chosen to express the Divine in the world; some may say. Well, who are the chosen? I know some are chosen by God to do special things as in those with PHD’s or long lines of descriptive degrees. But, we are all chosen by God to perform what He wills via those special gifts given us at baptism, and we are mandated to try our best to fulfill these requirements from God.

Back to me and why I feel the need to write and express in a succinct manner thoughts or reflections on matters that many may avoid doing since their reasoning might be; “I am not a theologian” or my education or experience has not prepared me for this. As for me, my past writings have an experience when I forgot my homily and after much anxiety that Sunday morning the words that flowed were not mine but the Holy Spirit speaking through me. I never did know what I said. Perhaps we depend too much and too often upon our own intellect and think maybe God is too busy to take care of our duties, or at least to intervene. Such thinking leaves a wide-open breach of faith and we should think twice or several times about bringing the Lord’s Spirit into our everyday task of sharing God with those we are sent to do so.

When I was active on the altar and preached almost every Sunday for 24 years, my thoughts went out over a microphone or electronic media, but now those same thoughts may be more far-reaching through the means of computers and texting or Faxing. I don’t know how many will read these reflections, but at some point the Holy Spirit will no doubt get them into the hands, minds, and spirits of people even after I have joined those already gone. At any rate, I write as directed by the Holy Spirit and even this reflection is inspired by God.