Tongue Pen

Words are powerful.  From the ramblings of celebrities or commentators to the careful speech of politicians, words are meant to affect us.  Whether for good or ill, words hold weight.  Shakespeare rightly proclaimed "All the world's a stage!"  His actors didn't only act, they spoke.  It was his words that made impact.  Where is your stage?  What is your script?

I quote Proverbs, chapter 15, verse 4: A soothing tongue is a tree of life, But perversion in it crushes the spirit.  They hold control over our emotions.  They establish or shake our confidence.  They sway our opinions.  Surely we have all been cautioned to think before we speak.  But we do not simply speak, people listen.  No matter who we are, this is a great responsibility.  James 3:5-6 states: So also the tongue is a small part of the body, and yet it boasts of great things. See how great a forest is set aflame by such a small fire!  Fires are destruction, but they also bring light and warmth.  It is up to us to let our words be chosen carefully and make an impact, whether spoken intimately to close friends, proclaimed in public places, or typed out on the internet.  This is our great charge, especially to writers.

My Tongue is the Pen comes right out of the Psalms.  Psalm 45:1 is a verse of special significance to me as a writer.  This is my heart behind my writing and my inspiration to press forward.  It reads: My heart overflows with a good theme; I address my verses to the King; my tongue is the pen of a ready writer.  I always say that I never set out to become a creator of books.  But my head was filled with stories, and those stories traveled straight to my heart.  You might say they overflowed.  How else could these stories possess life unless written down?  I soon encountered a thought, the Holy Spirit probing my heart.  What is the point of these stories if they do not point back to their author?  If you read one author long enough, you can find their style, their preferences, and that signs their work with a signature.  But I am not the author.  The Lord Jesus Christ is my author, just as He is the author of my life.  Why should I write if not to glorify Him?  No matter where this road through these stories takes me, I wish to only be the tongue of His pen.  He is the ready writer.  Fellow writers, artists, creative geniuses, I exhort you to use your gifts and talents for His glory.  After all, He can do so much more with these projects then we can.  That makes the journey an adventure.  The thrill and excitement of following where He leads.

-Kaitlyn