I enjoy writing. The problem is that I don’t think that I’m a good writer. But I still write. I enjoyed research papers in seminary, and I’ve enjoyed writing on this blog for the past few years, but I’ve never done any more writing than outside of this. While reading through Letters & Life, I found myself desiring to write more and express myself through words on paper more often. But writing seems so permanent. If I think something or say something, it can go away in an instant. However, once it’s down on paper (or a screeen) it’s there forever. Obviously, this isn’t always true but go deep with me for a minute. I think my fear of writing and why I don’t write more is because I am not confident enough in what I’m writing. I don’t want to look dumb or say something that’s already been said 1,000 times.
But here is what Letters & Life taught me. I need to write. Not because I’m any good at writing. But because of the message I know about Jesus, and how God has equipped me to share it through words on paper and through the stories of my life. My stories matter, and so do yours. We should all be sharing our stories and lives with others. The author, Bret Lott, says something early on in the book that was really profound to me. He said, “What I continue to learn through my life as a writer–through all those rejections and successes, past, present, and yet to come–is that the pain I want established is not to succeed in the world’s terms but in God’s terms. The loving God who loves us on his term, and his only” (32).
So while this isn’t a typical review of a book that talks about why the book was great or why it was bad, this review simply is an expression of the motivation I found from this book and I want to encourage you to read it and feel the same. Our loving God can use us, and while the world will reject my writing at times, God is using it in His terms. Check out Letters and Life. I promise it will make you want to write more.
Chris Hennessey 