Numbers

Yesterday I sat down to count the books I’d finished. I’ve been saying 165 for a couple of years now, so I did a recount and came up with the number of 173. What does that mean? Not a lot, really. It means that 173 times I sat down and put thousands of words together to tell a story or impart information . . . or sometimes both.

Sixty-eight is the number of my years . . . and that number doesn’t feel much different from 67 or even 45. I’m grateful for each year that passes.

My Write Well newsletter turned two in February–112 times (plus special editions) I have woven words to create a newsletter that I hope will encourage others to seek excellence in the writing craft . . . because excellent crafting is what communicates best, and communication is the reason why. If writing was just an exercise to clear out the soul, I’d sing a song or paint a picture or dance in the rain, something no one else would see or experience (thank heaven!)

But writing is about reaching other hearts and minds with a message, and that message is always about who God is: the Creator, the sovereign Lord, the ruler, the Judge, the Redeemer.

My husband and I were talking bout the mixed blessing of numbers–in a ministry, some leaders become fixated on numbers–how many people are in the pews, how many people are baptized in a year, how many people walk the aisle or attend a crusade (do they still have those?) We’ve seen really good ministers become disappointed by low numbers, and I’ve felt that same disappointment when one of my books doesn’t sell as well as others.

But God doesn’t care so much about numbers. He cares about nations and individuals, and He uses words to reach them.

And that’s probably why I prefer words to numbers. Numbers have no personality (except the number 4, which seems especially winsome), but words exude personality and purpose. And they change lives.

So please excuse my rambling today, and enjoy your numbers–the number of your children, your pets, your work hours, your years, and the moments you can reflect on who God is and what He is doing in your life.

Because it will probably be another couple of years before I do another count.

Until next time,

Angie