I suppose my first experience with writing came when I wrote in my diary like many 9 year-old girls—the first forms of keeping a journaling, you might say.

In the days of directing children’s choirs, I would pick up a script to a musical and find that it contained more songs than we would be able to have ready. If I had to cut three songs, it affected the scripts. So I adapted the scripts by rewriting them. For years, writing short skits had been a specialty, as well.

Later, I wrote devotionals and Bible studies including homework—way before Beth Moore came on the scene!

After hanging up my career of teaching music in public school and a career of directing children’s choirs, a youth and a senior adult choir, I had a nudging of the Holy Spirit to write. “What kind of writing?” I wondered. The only directive I received was “write.”

The Spirit led me to read in Exodus about Moses and the giving of the law.

Then the Lord said to Moses, “Write this on a scroll as something to be remembered…” Exodus 17:14

Over and over, God told Moses to write, even the stages of their journey in the wilderness. Write. Record what happened.

Then, I read of the apostle John in Revelation.

On the Lord’s day, I was in the Spirit, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet, which said, “Write on a scroll what you see and send it to the seven churches.” Revelation 1:10-11

One day when passing a book store, I noticed that across the store front, it had a phrase about writing. Another time, I was driving down the highway and glanced at the license plate of the car in front of me. “WRITE!” it blared. 

Again I asked, “Write what? More of the things I have done before?” That didn’t seem to be the answer.

A few months later, I attended a conference for ministers and wives and went into a small group with the topic of seeking God’s ongoing will. The leader talked about how God’s will often evolves in different ways through our lives. Among her examples, she mentioned a woman who felt called to write a book.

A warm, almost hot, sensation started in my legs and worked its way up through my body. I felt like the Lord had taken a branding iron and stamped across my chest the word, WRITE! It reminded me of the story of the two men on their way to Emmaus. After Jesus finally revealed himself to them, one said, “Didn’t our hearts burn within us?” That’s exactly how I felt.

“Okay, Lord, I understand, you want me to write, but what?” So with this call in mind, I began earnestly praying that he would reveal His will to me.

Next week, the rest of the story!

~ Joyce ~