Who I Picture as a Reader When I Write

I heard some advice for writers once saying we should picture a reader as we write. Some writers have even gone so far as to put a picture of their spouse or their grandmother atop their computers.

I picture God as I write.

And here’s why:

I am convinced He’s perfectly fine with my senseless ramblings. Of course He gets mad when I cuss or become selfish, but other than that He likes hearing my stories and my opinions and He loves who I am. After all, He had an integral part of bringing me into the world, and an integral part of giving me a mind and a mouth and fingers to tap a keyboard.

Ultimately, God is a much more gracious critic than most anybody else. He’s sentimental and He leans toward grace. You and I can critique each other’s work with objective sophistication, but God hasn’t the luxury.

He’s intimately involved.

He’s our maker. We are His kids.

It’s been a long time since I’ve left the fundamentalist, “God hates you but loves you” church and the fear of being myself around Him is gone. I like God now. It took a while, but I like Him a great deal.

And the writing is going better than ever.

Do you feel comfortable being yourself around God? Can you accept His unmerited favor? Can you accept His disapproval of your selfish ways without associating it with your sense of worth?

I think God is a big fan of my simple work. And of yours, too.

Who I Picture as a Reader When I Write is a post from: Storyline Blog