Guest Post: Living the Lessons by Eileen Knowles
One of the most beautiful and scary things about writing is the power it has to transform us.
I’m learning over and over that when we choose to share our stories, the main goal isn’t to see how many pairs eyes view what we’ve written, the main goal is for us (the writer) to learn and grow in the process.
Our stats mean nothing to God…our souls mean everything.
It never fails, I’ll write about something that is on my heart and it becomes the learning portal for the day. The books and blogs I read, the conversations I hear, the sights I see, and the people I encounter seem to offer one more important piece in the learning puzzle. Every experience sheds more light on the lessons I am intended to learn.
Writing, if I allow it to, will:
convict me
challenge me
correct me
As I was writing this post, I realized that this not only goes for writing down our stories but for living out our stories as well. When we choose to share our stories and our lives with others, when we choose to live fully engaged, when we choose to live with our eyes wide open…we are shaped and changed in the process. Our lives become the books we write and the legacy we leave.
Life, like writing, is one big lesson for us to learn. Each day is a new day to understand that lesson just little bit more.
Here are some areas where the Lord is currently stretching me:
It’s fine and dandy to write and read about grace…
but are you living it out in your life? Is grace the air you breathe? Do you inhale grace in order to exhale it on the lives around you?
It’s fine and dandy to write and read about loving and serving others…
but are you putting others first in your life? Do you treat loving others as the most important thing in your life or is it sometimes an interruption or an inconvenience?
It’s fine and dandy to write and read about the power of prayer…
but are you praying without ceasing? Is prayer your first resort or your last resort? Does your prayer life really reflect that you believe in the power of prayer?
What about you? How is God currently stretching you as you try to live out your stories?
About the Author
Eileen Knowles is a small town Arizona girl who studied English at The University of Arizona a long, long time ago. She now lives in small town North Carolina with her husband, Roger, their eight-year old son, and one quirky dog named Bisbee. When she is not working part-time loving on animals at the local animal hospital, she thoroughly enjoys drinking coffee, running, playing Scrabble, leading Women’s Bible Study at her church, and writing about how cool it is to journey through life with Jesus holding her hand.
Eileen is passionate about leaving a legacy for her son and encouraging others along the way who might need a dose of hope poured into their weary lives.
You can find her taking The Scenic Route at www.eileenknowles.com
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