The phone rang while I was sorting through a mountian of emails. However, its incessant tones shoved its elbow in my ribs and I turned and picked it up. My irritated "hello!" blasted into the receiver.
"Hello?" I heard in a soft voice.
"Yes?" I answered.
"Is this Kathie Chiu?"
"Yes, this is Kathie Chiu. How can I help you?" I asked, trying to tighten up my filter and put on my polite voice.
"This is Wilma, and I think you and I have a lot in common," she stated.
What happened next was a wonderful, God led conversation that made the day for both of us I suspect. You see, Wilma had read my piece in the Spiritually Speaking column of our newspaper, the Times Colonist here in Victoria. I had written about what it's like to live with a chronis illness and somehow, the words formed from my thoughts, travelled through my fingers to the printed word in a local newspaper where her eyes landed on them, miraculously transporting them straight to her heart.
As writers who are Christian we have the enormous privilge of entering into the lives of our readers in a way no one really understands. I'm not sure if you've ever experienced someone coming up to you after recognizing your name from your writing - they speak to you as if they know you. Depending on how much of your heart and your life you leave on the page determines the level of "knowing" your reader has of you.
I'm a 'bare it all' kind of writer who feels that a life shared is a life lived a little bit more authentically. I choose to be vulnerable, open heart, open life. My column in our organizations monthly magazine, The Salvationist, always has a piece of me on the page. In Wima's case, she had read about my struggle with chronic illness and how deeply in despair I sometimes am from the constant struggle to continue moving, talking, keeping a positive attitude and generally not letting the world see what is going on underneath the facade. She identified with me on a level of understanding that someone without that particular struggle would have.
Other times I talk about the struggles with family, church, life in general - and everyone struggles with something. Everyone has human needs we can all identify with. I write about the happy times, the blessed times, the angry times. Sometimes my filter is like a sieve and other times - well no, my filter is usually on like a open faucet!
So, I challenge you to leave piece of you on the page. Let those pieces multiply into a living breathing word that penetrates the hearts of the reader. Don't worry about losing a part of yourself, for in the giving there is great receiving, a blessing unconceivable to the human mind. That is how wonderful our God is. No matter whether we mention Him or not, His image will reveal itself as we join hearts with our readers.
grace... Kathie
"Hello?" I heard in a soft voice.
"Yes?" I answered.
"Is this Kathie Chiu?"
"Yes, this is Kathie Chiu. How can I help you?" I asked, trying to tighten up my filter and put on my polite voice.
"This is Wilma, and I think you and I have a lot in common," she stated.
What happened next was a wonderful, God led conversation that made the day for both of us I suspect. You see, Wilma had read my piece in the Spiritually Speaking column of our newspaper, the Times Colonist here in Victoria. I had written about what it's like to live with a chronis illness and somehow, the words formed from my thoughts, travelled through my fingers to the printed word in a local newspaper where her eyes landed on them, miraculously transporting them straight to her heart.
As writers who are Christian we have the enormous privilge of entering into the lives of our readers in a way no one really understands. I'm not sure if you've ever experienced someone coming up to you after recognizing your name from your writing - they speak to you as if they know you. Depending on how much of your heart and your life you leave on the page determines the level of "knowing" your reader has of you.
I'm a 'bare it all' kind of writer who feels that a life shared is a life lived a little bit more authentically. I choose to be vulnerable, open heart, open life. My column in our organizations monthly magazine, The Salvationist, always has a piece of me on the page. In Wima's case, she had read about my struggle with chronic illness and how deeply in despair I sometimes am from the constant struggle to continue moving, talking, keeping a positive attitude and generally not letting the world see what is going on underneath the facade. She identified with me on a level of understanding that someone without that particular struggle would have.
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| Kathie Chiu is the Executive Director at The Salvation Army Victoria ARC
She blogs over at www.kathiechiu.com
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So, I challenge you to leave piece of you on the page. Let those pieces multiply into a living breathing word that penetrates the hearts of the reader. Don't worry about losing a part of yourself, for in the giving there is great receiving, a blessing unconceivable to the human mind. That is how wonderful our God is. No matter whether we mention Him or not, His image will reveal itself as we join hearts with our readers.
grace... Kathie
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6 comments:
Oh Kathie! You are a woman after my own heart. It is that kind of vulnerable sharing that makes connections to others. What may feel vulnerable when you first start being open soon transforms to not only making connections but the satisfaction that by sharing you have helped someone else along life's journey! Keep it up!
Now THAT is vulnerable! I didn't mean my comment to be anonymous! Ruth Smith Meyer
God's timing is perfect, isn't it, Kathy? I can relate to those niggling 'inconvenient' moments when the door bell or the phone rings and we are thrown off task. But we never know when God will call us to specifically minister. We need always be on the ready. And you are so right when you speak about the enormous privilege of entering into the lives of our readers. Great post and challenge. I like the way you said 'leave a piece of [you] on the page,' and how God reveals Himself when he wants to. He really doesn't need our help but he desires it.
Thanks so much, ladies! I appreciate your comments and encouragement!
Up front and personal, Kathie!
Thanks.
I too, like your point about leaving a "piece of [you] on the page." ~~+~~
Beautifully written Kathie,
To know you is to love you... isn't that a song? As we read what you write we get to know you and love you too. And we love Jesus as we know Who He is as well.
I pray I can be transparent too.
Blessings in your writing,
Janis
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