Coming into this week, I was feeling a big discouraged about my blogging.
I got lots of encouragement a few weeks ago when I blogged about how discouraged I was in my writing endeavors and how insecure I was feeling. That was encouragement was wonderful to receive, but nonetheless, the discouragement set in again. I'd been trying hard to blog regularly and write about interesting and engaging things and yet for two solid weeks I'd had absolutely no comments and very few page views.
No matter who you are, when you're blogging and feel like you get no feedback, it can be discouraging.
So when I opened up my email on Monday morning, I was quite excited to see that little (1) in my comment label. It wasn't what I expected, but ended up being so much better.
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I've known for a long time that I was given the gift of writing. People have quite literally been telling me that for years and when multiple people in multiple areas of your life consistently tell you that you have a talent for writing you begin to think that that's probably the case.
For most of my college career, I intended to go into journalism, but that all changed during Christmas break during my senior year.
I spent the next several months doing research about writing resources and started blogging a lot more regularly. I joined 20 Something Bloggers. I joined Twitter. I worked on building my platform and my audience.
And as wonderful as it was to finally be getting followers and feedback, I knew that I didn't just want to blog or write in any capacity just to get followers and comments.
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My favorite authors are the ones that inspire me. They're the ones that use their writing to make me think, to turn me back to Scripture, to inspire me to draw closer to my Savior, to inspire me to live life to the absolute fullest.
That's the kind of author and writer I want to be. I don't want people to walk or click away from my writing and just think it was a funny story or a nice piece of writing. I want them to feel inspired. I want them to feel excited about life. I want my personal story and my fictional story to lift people's spirits.
I struggle sometimes because I see other bloggers who just write funny anecdotes who have hundreds of followers and get tons of comments on short little posts. I wonder if maybe I should try to write like that instead. Maybe being inspiring isn't worth it. Maybe it would be better if I was funny or witty or snarky or whatever.
But then I get comments like the one I got on Monday. I read words like this: "I just wanted to say that I've read a few of your posts so far and I feel a little more inspired to live life. I've been dealing with this hard depression the past several months and lately have considered possible ways to just...end it. Your life events and story have helped me understand more that it's for God and about Him and not about me. Thanks. Take care."
When I read those words, I was dumbfounded. I stared at my computer screen for a moment, not quite sure what to do. I was amazed and completely humbled.
In that moment, it was as if Jesus sat me down and said, "Sarah, I put you here for a purpose. I gave you the ability to write and share your story to inspire others to love Me more. Don't you dare trade that for anything."
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A lot of people write for a lot of different reasons.
Some just do it because it's fun. Some do it because they "have to." Some do it because someone told them they were good at it and they don't mind it much. Everyone has their own reasons for writing blogs or books or articles or any other number of things.
I write because my Savior gave me a voice. He gave me a story. He gave me beautiful thoughts about who He is and what He has done in my life. He has brought me through some crazy years and taught me amazing things about who He is and how He loves me.
I share a lot of personal things on this blog. I share a lot of things that make many people wonder why, in this world that is hypersensitive about privacy, I would publish something like that on the internet for all the world to see. Why would I be so open about my personal, private life?
This is why.
There are certainly advantages to being private, but there is also great value in sharing your story. And if the Lord has brought me through things and taught me things that could one day help another person more clearly see who He is, then who am I to keep that hidden away?
In a moment like this, all the frustration and confusion about why I don't get comments or page views or whether or not I'm good at this becomes completely worth it. The number of followers, the number of page views, the number of comments...none of those matter.
But a life changed? That matters. Boy, does it matter. One life is all it takes.
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The post The Moment It's All Worth It appeared first on Shades of Shayes.