Giving Birth

Marcia Laycock won the Best New Canadian Christian Author Award for her novel, One Smooth Stone. Her devotionals have been endorsed by Mark Buchanan, Phil Callaway and Jeanette Oke. Visit her website - www.vinemarc.com

Author Kathy Mackel made a statement recently that resonated with me deeply. She talked about the responsibility we have as writers who are Christian, who are indwelt with the Spirit of God who says, “give life.”

Then she quoted Isaiah 26:18 - “We were with child, we writhed in pain, but we gave birth to wind.”

Kathy admitted that she was afraid of birthing only wind. I admit that I am plagued by that same fear. I want my writing to count both now and, God willing, for eternity. There is an awful lot of wind being birthed in this world. We can’t afford to miss the opportunity to birth words of life.

But that responsibility can rest heavily on our shoulders and if we’re not careful we will lose the joy. We begin to believe that it’s all up to us. We too easily forget that God’s inspiration is in us and that only God can make a baby. He is the ultimate creator, the source, the muse, the inspiration. By his very nature He wills to birth in us the words of life needed by the world. By His very nature he has ordained the praise of His people who “go out in joy.” For nothing God ordains can fail to bring forth life.

Having just spent a weekend with a lot of very joyful people I find myself longing for that day when even the “trees of the fields will clap their hands.” (Isaiah 55:12). But in the meantime we do not have to fear the “birthing of wind” because God is in us, making known to us the “mystery of his will according to His good pleasure” (Eph. 1:9).

Though we are but flawed creatures of dust, God has filled us with His Spirit that we might be filled with joy and enabled to prophesy - to tell forth all the goodness and glory of the Lord. Whether it be in poetry or prose, an interview or a news story, whether it be a fantasy novel or a contemporary romance, whether it be written for the Christian marketplace or the secular, all can accomplish that goal.

May we all go out in joy, sing as though only He were listening and write as though only He were reading.