A Deep Soul

   The joke around our house lately has been Matt saying "You're such a writer." to me when I say or do something weird. It seems that I'm becoming more comfortable in my pursuit of my dream and I'm not holding back like I used to when it comes to expressing myself. The past few weeks have been interesting as I've not been sleeping well and literally waking up in the middle of the night to jot down an idea or obsess over the next line I want to use in my book I can easily see myself sitting at a coffee shop in Seattle in dark-rimmed glasses and writing my heart out on paper for a few hours.

   Matt challenged me with a question the other day. He asked "Why do you want to write? What do you want people to gain from your writing?" My initial answer was "It's what I love to do." but when I saw him stare at me a bit more intensely and lean back in his chair, I realized he was looking for a different answer- the real one. Of course I love to write and it really is something that gives me a sense of purpose, but it does run deeper than that. I want to write for those that can't. God has given me a passion to express myself through writing. There are people out there that literally cannot speak up for themselves due to cultural limitations or the severity of what they're facing. There are people that do not have the ability to speak up for themselves- abuse, neglect and abandonment have left them speechless and unable to convey what they feel or what they have to say. I want to write to inspire those that do not know how to seek inspiration out.

   I plan to write fictional pieces eventually, but even in that I want to convey characters that relate to the masses. Writing is art and I appreciate it for that, but I also want to use it as a tool. I have been moving forward in the manuscript I've been writing and it feels like it has a clear anointing on it. That isn't to speak of talent or anything, but something that is bigger than me. I really do feel that there are big plans with this manuscript and that it will be on a bookshelf for people to buy and that through its pages there will be a nugget of hope offered before the last sentence is read.

   That's a HUGE dream, but hey...why not? My soul is deep enough to hold it.