You were made for the impossible thing.
You were made for the goal you cannot conceivably achieve. You were made for the task you are ill-equipped to manage. The high bar you can never reach.
You were made for the thing that terrifies you the most. The thing those others can do but never you.
You were made for the dream too good even to dream.
Some of you know this. You have already seen that the impossible thing slowly, gradually becomes more than just an impossible thing. It becomes a prayer. In other words, impossibility is shot through with cruel desire. You hardly know how it happens, but somehow you begin to want this impossible thing.
Until, one day (but truly it is never one day; it is always slowly over many days) the prayer is answered. The promise inherent in prayer is fulfilled. And the impossible thing becomes a gift, given freely.
To you.
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Writing is my impossible thing. It is the dream I buried in a million books. Books I was convinced I could never write.
My friend Cara Strickland, a writer of delicious details, sent a few questions my way. They are questions meant for writers, but I’ve been considering them with all our many impossible dreams in mind.
- What are you working on?
I am working on noticing.
The more I notice, the more convinced I become that our lives, and the world in which we live them, are not the chaotic, meaningless jumbles they often appear to be.
When I notice the connections among a few dots, I write out those connections here on this blog. I try to do this once per week, but dots do not always obey our commands (pleas, bribes, etc.) to reveal their associations.
But I keep showing up and, sometimes, I am rewarded.
Slowly (very slowly), I am also writing out the connections among some bigger dots. Dots like homesickness and desire and kingdom come. I am gathering up these bits in a file called “My Book.” We shall see whether the title of this computer file proves itself prophetic.
- How does your work differ from others of its genre?
One of my greatest fears is that it does not. That, indeed, there is nothing new under the sun. But I find in the Psalms a command that has also become my prayer: “sing to the Lord a new song.”
I think this is why we are here on this planet. To sing to our God a new song. But, like most commands we find in the Bible, it is impossible. It asks too much. Every word I write rings in my ears like an echo of some other, better writer.
But I am learning to stand in the river that is the source of every new thing. I am learning to recognize the new when it bubbles up like a spring. New words, new stories, new beauties, new mercies. New is the keyword of the kingdom of God, and we are Christ’s own. We hold the keys to the kingdom.
- Why do you write what you do?
I write because the world holds so much beauty my heart would break if I couldn’t pause and gather some of it up.
I write because there is a river, and it has filled me with good news. Somehow I, the quiet one, the cautious one, want only to “go up on a high mountain” and shout “Here is your God!” (Isaiah 40:9).
- How does your writing process work?
It works like this: I stand near a sink overflowing with dirty dishes, a paper calendar in hand. I carve out quiet time. This is exhausting, difficult work. My knife is never sharp enough. And then, typically, I must let go of the time I have so carefully cut away. The baby does not nap, or the preschooler will not fulfill the “quiet” portion of his afternoon quiet-time obligation, or school is canceled, or I get sick, and on and on it goes.
Until, while wiping the counters or raking leaves or changing a diaper, I am visited by an image. Maybe two. The beginnings of a story.
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My friend Laura Lynn Brown sings beautiful songs. She sings with words (you can find her award-winning essay “Fifty Things About My Mother” at Slate). She sings with paintbrush and pencil. She sings with an Irish flute. I’m passing the baton of these questions on to her. Look for her own thoughts on writing and the writing process at her website in the coming weeks.
Now tell me. How do you sing your own new song?
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“Sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous things.”
(Psalm 98:1)
When you notice and share, we notice too! Thank you for that gift!!
Your writing is a magnifying glass to mine!!!
A magnifying glass to my life I mean 🙂
A magnifying glass! Oh, how I love that. Thank you, Tracy.
Oh Christie this is beautiful. I love the questions. I’m going to ponder them.
Noticing yes that’s where my writing starts.
I don’t dream of a book. I dream of ministry to many. Sometimes I dream of being discovered.
Must write. Two blogs in my overflowing heart this morning. Once again I will connect to you. The one about story telling. Love sue
Thank you, Sue. I’m so glad we can share this writing life.
Yes, my friend, yes. Your words are always life streaming in.
Is it possible that I want too many things? The jumble of desire sometimes leaves me dry and guilt ridden. I want to do it all and the “all” leaves me gasping in exhaustion. I am there lying empty this morning.
Oh, Summer, yes, no, I’m not sure? Praying a river of clarity and refreshment for you.
pretty much , yes…me, too…to everything here. i’m praying courage and time and clarity for the both of us as we work on our new songs.
thanks for sharing.
thank you, Tonia. I’ll be praying the same beautiful prayer.
I love the direction you took this, friend. Thank you for being such a beautiful voice in my life. So glad we met.
Thank you, Cara. I’m so glad you shared these questions with me. Sometimes we need clearly defined boundaries in order to write the things we’d never otherwise write. This blog tour has been that for me.
Oh, Christie. Such naked answers to questions that don’t seem on the surface to need to pierce. If I’m honest, I’m not sure I’m singing a new song. Or maybe I am…but only in the privacy of my own small journal. Maybe that counts. Maybe the journal is not all there is. And maybe there is fear or maybe it’s not yet time, or maybe there is more wilderness to roam and more beauty to scoop up…maybe, just maybe.
I love your writing and so glad I discovered you through Amy and Pick Your Portion! I also love reading about how others approach writing.
I’ve written my whole life and have never wanted do anything more. It started with fiction. Most of my childhood I went around with a notebook and a pencil to write out my “novels” whenever I had time. In the car, on the go, wherever.
I never doubted that I’d write a book when I was young, but now “putting myself out there” is a bit scary. But I’m slowly working towards it. My afternoon hour/hours are sacred workspaces for me that yes, don’t always work out, but the accumulation of them do mean that I’m putting together something I care about. The end of one phase of it (the book proposal) is almost in sight. Scary and exciting!
If you wrote a book, I’d definitely love to read it! I hope one day you do!
Every time I encounter someone in my day, I try to sing to them the love of Christ. Maybe it will be an encouragement to them, or maybe it will simply elicit a smile. I never know.
Like the first day I met you here. I tried to sing you this song. Sometimes I even think you hear it.
I so wish we were neighbors and I had more time, more words, to say “Yes!” a thousand different ways. I’m late to this post, but it’s right on time. Keep going, friend.
Wouldn’t that be lovely, Tresta? 🙂