A Daily Task

It is enjoyable for me to have the daily task of blogging. One starts to think about what they might write about next. One begins to think of the blog as a place to go, an old friend to visit. Not a task at all, but a daily delight. Just me and my blog!

Actually, it reminds me of how I felt when I took a Creative Writing course at the University of Maryland in 1977. Or that's my best guess at the year. I was in my glory going to that class, participating, doing my weekly assignments. Of course, at least partly, that might be because it was my only foray into the real, adult world. I had three small children at the time. Creative Writing was my intellectual occupation for a few hours a week. I remember vividly when it was over. I remember saying to my mother back then....'now if I only had a weekly assignment like that from now on!'

One has to be careful what they say, what they offer up to the universe, to the great Creator. That statement of longing must have brewed a while, a dozen years or so. In 1987 I wrote a collection of short stories, which turned out to be very mystical, spiritual, based on biblical images and stories. That was honestly the first clue that I had, letting me know my most basic, internal nature. They were stories that seemed to originate from somewhere other than me. And perhaps they did.

In 1989 I felt called to the ministry, strongly, irresistably. I would have resisted if I could have. I knew better, having lived that life as a child. I figure that some powerful angel heard my longing for a 'weekly assignment'. And for the next twenty years, I had it! I wrote sermons. Always, the sermon-writing part was the easiest part of ministry for me. The part I loved the most. In time, I began to love the preaching, delivery, part as much as the writing part.

Now, I have a daily writing assignment! Can't beat that!