Foundations
Devotion for Pens of Praise
March 9, 2013
By Susan Marlene Kinney
But
everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is
like the foolish man who builds his house on sand….
Foundations and cornerstones, their purpose is to supply
integrity of strength and stability to a building. All other stones, bricks or materials
for construction are set in reference to the cornerstone and depend on a sturdy
foundation. Hopefully, the structure is situated on something stronger than
sand. Quality building, learning, writing, or relationships begin with
attention to the foundation.
Now here is where I
get personal. My foundation does depend upon my relationship to the Lord first
and foremost. When His presence touches that wounded or jubilant place in my
heart and mind and spirit then the foundation for my relationships or writing
or whatever needs my attention is securely set. Out from that safe place of
relationship, flows ideas, dreams, and grace that I could not have hoped to imagine
before.
It has been said in the book called, Wired For Story by Lisa Cron that our brains are hardwired for
story. To quote her, “Story helps us survive not only in the life-and-death
physical sense but also in a life-well-lived social sense.” Maybe that is why
our Lord spoke in parables. He reached into that place where our minds hunger
for truth, for survival, and quality relationships. We desire to know why, how,
and when to do something. How do we react or respond? We want to watch or read
how a character handles a knotty situation without physically experiencing the
trial. I believe we are motivated by story because we want to apply what we
learn. Story teaches us to be courageous, clever, and offers us a blueprint for
what could possibly work in our own tragedies and difficulties life tosses our
way. We want to be accepted, appreciated, and smart
when it comes to our accomplishments and decisions.
You may have a story or poem burning in your heart today.
You may have a true story or memoire, which needs to be written. My advice is
to know your characters so well that the story emerges from their situation or
pain. I believe that fiction is an important vehicle for tapping into teaching
others how to make good choices. Fiction
is useful. It’s not just entertainment or fluff. Not if we are responsible about
learning how to write those characters and their situations so strongly that
the reader will think they are looking into the mirror. I believe if we do
listen to Jesus’s words and apply them to our lives habitually, then we will
write about those concerns hardwired to the everyday mind. People are searching
for reason and purpose. What is that gut
wrenching truth our reader has to know? What is it they anxiously fear? What is
imperative to their life socially and spiritually? What can we write that
matters for our readers to believe so that they can apply truth to their life?
The gauntlet has been tossed to you writer, will you accept the challenge to
write about essential, worthy matters that will encourage or provide that
blueprint to your readers before they turn off the lights and consider some
other dream?
Consider your foundations and please don’t build on sand….
