The power of words. I realized early in my college career that words can have a tremendous impact on others.
   At that time, my dream of being a writer was shattered by a creative writing professor obviously struggling to encourage. I had written an article that I was sure was a Reader’s Digest shoo-in! On my returned paper were the words “You have nice handwriting!” Nice words but, for me, a negative message. And, enough to discourage me for many years.
   After a long time of writing and being published by my church, my husband said to me, “I really think you ought to try to publish some of your writing in magazines.”
   “But what about Mrs. Grant. You know what she said to me in college.”
   “Forget about her.” he said. “I really think you can do it!”
   I began to search for information on writing. I went to my first writers’ conference, not really knowing what would take place there. I was timid and shy and didn’t even know exactly how to ask to find out what I wanted to know. At that conference I learned about the publishing world, a frontier just waiting for me to discover it!
   As my list of writing credits grew and others noticed my bylines, people began to call me or stop me along the way. “I have always wanted to write,” they’d say. “Can you help me?”
   In my enthusiasm for what I was doing, I tried to find time to help them discover the same excitement about writing. It was going to be impossible to help everyone individually, so I formed a writers group at my church. The number varied with each meeting, but the hunger to learn how to get into print was always the same.
   Still feeling there were gaps in what was available to writers in our area, I began a class at our local technical college called “Writing for Publication.” Many of the writers who came to me already had the basics of writing but they had no clue how to market their work.
   In a short time, I had new writers bring clips to share. Eventually, several had book contracts.
   When my first opportunity came to teach at a national writers’ conference, I felt a little overwhelmed.  But I realized that God was opening doors that I needed to obediently walk through.
   Standing in front of “my” class, teaching the things that were so exciting to me, I was focused and energetic. Although normally shy, I can communicate with my class in a way that is concise and organized and explain the material in an understandable way. I had progressed from only helping those in my own community to helping new writers from all over the country. And I have felt God’s direction every step of the way. I feel secure in knowing:

1)    God has called me to follow the course He has set for me as a writer. I know that He has called me not only to write but also to help others achieve their writing goals.
   This knowledge allows me to write freely without thought of competing for assignments because I know they will come according to His plan. I don’t have to feel jealous of the success of others. God created me to be the writer I am and this place in the writing world that I occupy is just for me!

God called me to be a mentor to other writers. As I write and experience success in my own writing, I have opportunities to help others do the same.

2)    My writing ministry includes not only what I write but also what is written by those I mentor. As I help others to discover the joy of being “print missionaries,” I share in their success. The success of those I mentor is an extension of my own ministry.

3)    I will never know the scope of my ministry until I reach heaven. Every time someone reads an article written by someone I have helped to learn the ropes of this business, I have a part in that. People who reads books and articles written by writers who have allowed me to advise them and cheer for them, are touched by my ministry. Investing in the lives of other writers has an impact on others.

     
   Eric Liddell spoke to his sister in the movie Chariots of Fire. He addressed her concern about the Olympics interfering with his missionary career in China. “When I run, I feel God’s pleasure,” he said.
   I may not run. But when I write and invest in the lives of other writers, I definitely feel God’s pleasure.