Why Writing Matters

by Jenny Erlingsson

Focusing on writing during stressful seasons sometimes seem like the last thing we should do. My family recently made a huge move from Iceland to the states for a season, and it has been a whirlwind these past few months. Even with the recent book launch of Her Part to Play and lots of book ideas brewing, it has been hard to give myself the permission to compose new stories and scenes.

But even if you are like me and don’t always feel like it, now is a good time to write, especially if you feel called to do so. Here is what I mean when I say called. Writing is one of the best ways you express yourself. And perhaps like me, when you do write, you feel more like yourself. Not to mention, there is the added bonus of how your words resonate with others. You have the ability write in intricate plots and stirring prose what others may have a hard time expressing.

Here are some other ways writing matters.

1. Writing is Worship:Those around me long enough already know that I truly believe writing is a fingerprint of worship. I’ve been scribbling since I was a child, but this aspect came into fierce clarity after giving birth to my 3rd child. You can read more about that time in this ACFW blog post: Fingerprint of Worship. Postpartum was weighing heavy on me along with other issues but during that time I realized that writing was one of the ways God had given me to connect with Him and I needed to cultivate that.

2. Writing is Therapy:The same book that came out of that post-partum moment moved beyond personal worship to words that really ministered to other people. But I had no clue that one month after its release, I would need what I wrote to encourage my own self. The enemy was using the circumstances around that time to deny what I had just declared with the book. But that book reminded me of my place as a daughter of God. You have no idea how God will speak through you the words you need for

3. Writing is Creative Expression: When words are knit together in poetic, thought-provoking, inspiring ways, there is nothing like it! The beauty of the written word is something we often take for granted. Words paint pictures, entertain, and bring change. Our stories can strengthen, inspire, bring life, release hope, and stir joy for others. As we write, our words form lumps of clay into worthy vessels, creating melodies that play in the backgrounds of our reader’s lives.

4. Writing is Legacy:When you read books by others that have long passed from this earth or even the words of the Bible itself, you realize that words have the ability to outlast us. This makes them more significant and important than we realize. Part of the reason I wrote my first book was so that my kids would know me better in the future. I wanted them to have something to point to (in addition to my heavily marked Bible) that gave them a glimpse into my heart. The words we write point to the legacy of our belief in God and the goodness that is available to those readers too.

Overall, your writing matters because God has placed it in your for this time or perhaps for a time to come. I’m sure there are many more reasons to add to this list but why does writing matter for you? Share that in the comments below or let that serve as inspiration for the next time you put pen to paper, or fingertips to you keyboard.

Jenny Erlingsson writes romantic fiction and creative non-fiction to encourage deep faith in diverse settings. When she’s not ministering with her Icelandic husband or mothering her adorably feisty kids, she can be found writing and reading in the margins, with a side of Icelandic chocolate. Visit her on-line at https://jennyerlingsson.com/.