Thanks For Giving Me a Minute to Figure It Out…
October 13th, 2009
I received this little encouragement in my inbox this morning:
“You may not check this thing anymore, and I know you said not to “hold you to it” later, but I think it would be lovely if you kept up this site and your writing. Working on a computer all day in the marketplace, it’s helpful to read something of substance rather than another journal article which proves the impoverished state of our national health and then attempts to come up with a scheme of man to somehow make it better, when really all this country needs, Christian and non-believer alike, is the reality of the Savior.
So yeah, I like to come here to read a little bit of truth on my breaks, so if you feel so lead, keep up the writing.“
Well, every once in a while, I do check this thing. In fact, I think about it often - this little journal represents years of expressing my heart and reaching for God through writing in a way that is critically knit to how I am wired by my Creator. What I am never sure of is how to navigate that internal longing to write with the other areas and avenues that I’ve signed up for (some desired, some not). What touches my heart, however, is that many of you also “check this thing” and have encouraged me to write more. I so appreciate the kindness (and the hunger for God)! Honestly, I wasn’t sure anyone was poking there head in here because of my negligence.
Part of my challenge recently is how to navigate other writing that I need to be doing - and am struggling to stay on top of. I have overlooked and neglected other writing assignments that have real deadlines. I am sure that, however, part of my struggle with writing elsewhere is that I have simply gotten out of the habit of writing. That’s bad! Secondly, I have been working through other material in other contexts that don’t necessarily translate to what I have done in the past here. For example, this morning I am wrestling with how to teach and communicate the attributes of God to teenagers. How do I take the language of A.W. Tozer, Charnock, Pink, etc. accessible to a generation of young people that have largely disconnected from the importance of the infinitude of God?
A final aspect of writing I have had a difficult time with is the transition that our culture has made in communicating ideas. I am many things, but as of today I am not succinct. I was made for Tozer, not Twitter. Thus I found, for a while, that every time I wanted to venture into this place to write I found myself mostly thinking about writing about writing (as I am doing here, ironically). If the blog format was a challenge for me, how much more is the twitterfied world that has quickly outpaced the blog world a mystifying reality? There are two camps related to this kind of thing: the “pro-Twitter” world and the “anti-Twitter world”. I am on neither team. I appreciate the manner in which the twitter reality forces precision and presses writers to summarize and assimilate key ideas quickly. Twitter is a glorious place for preachers, and often writers are bugged by preachers in the same manner that they are bugged by Twitter.
The blog format was an early preview of what was to come in regards to internet communication. When I first started engaging in this format, in fact, the number one complaint I received was related to my writing style. I refused to post the short, quick, extemporaneous commentaries that populated the internet. I wasn’t writing to a format, I was simply expressing my heart while sharpening and pushing myself to write better. I’m still figuring it out. I know a few things: I’m not skilled enough to post the quick-hit articles and sentences that many can produce and I’m not interested in the personality driven asides that attract so many to blogs and creates so much twitter traffic. That so many of you have commented and wondered where my little musings have been encourages me to keep pressing for what I do, in the way that I do it.
So, as long as you don’t mind me writing when I can and as long as you don’t mind me practicing my craft on you, I’ll still pop in here every so often. Not to build a following - but to hone and sharpen a part of myself that needs the glorious repetition an ongoing journal provides. Thanks to Sarah for the sweet note. I checked.
David
Entry Filed under: life at ihop-kc, writing
17 Comments Add your own
1. Mark | October 13th, 2009 at 9:55 am
Thanks for the update! I’m always interested in whatever you have to post - long or short. Say, could you give us an update on your writing projects?
2. Neil | October 13th, 2009 at 12:01 pm
Be encouraged, David. Don’t lose heart and be faithful in what you are able to do (I know that you are striving to be better).
In many ways we are all in this same situation.
3. Idhrendur | October 13th, 2009 at 1:33 pm
Any time you write on here, I will be here to read it.
4. Bassem | October 14th, 2009 at 6:38 am
David,
Time and time, I find myself going back to older posts and reading them even if their 2 years old they seem relevant and mentally stimulating, and that is not possible on other blogs that post “quick-hit sentences”.
So what I’m saying is I really like your writing style and the content that you write on.
Don’t stop writing.
5. Donna | October 14th, 2009 at 7:10 am
Welcome back! I surely missed your musings…although your online absence did prompt me to buy all of your books
I look forward to reading about what God is showing you about Himself and how you are assimilating it into your life.
6. Sarah Michelle | October 14th, 2009 at 11:16 am
You are most welcome :).
As one who has given herself to writing out the very gold that the Holy Spirit has dropped inside of my heart, it is just plain encouraging to see and read of others that are doing the same. It seems that both sides of life present the same story. Being surely called into the marketplace for this time in my life, my heart aches for more and more time to be found in the place of prayer and to develop the revelations, given to me by the Holy Spirit, into my understanding through the process of writing. You being called into full-time ministry, seem to suffer from the same time retraints involving priority and responsibility.
There must be a great treasure to be released from the written word seeing that there exists a blatant attack preventing many from even entering into writing process, let alone daily “finding the time” to daily perform the task. It reminds me of the great American delusion on this country’s Christian culture when approaching a devotional life with the Lord. In writing, I know I think about it far much more than I actually do it.
Many Blessings to you in continued writing endevors!
Sidenote: I work with teenagers outside of the day job and am wrestling with presenting similiar materials to them as you mentioned above. NOT EASY STUFF!
7. Jenn S. | October 14th, 2009 at 6:29 pm
Glad to hear you haven’t set aside the blog permanently. I may not have commented much, but I was always glad to see you writing. I hope you will be able to find some time and some inspiration for topics in the near future.
– Ducky
8. Jennifer | October 23rd, 2009 at 8:16 pm
I randomly wondered today if you had a blog and the first search result was this. I so love the way many of you at KC lead in humility. I am really excited to search out more of your writings here. I just read the one you wrote about the pure seeing God and the struggle between pursuing that deep desire and demanding responsibility (2 kids under 3 here!) given by the Lord. Oh to walk it well before the Lord and my two little disciples. I am genuinely glad that you have written here and know it will be a blessing to many!
9. kyle | October 24th, 2009 at 3:41 pm
i was clearing out my blogroll today, and bumped into this post - i’m pleased.
i’ve seen you pensive before - but rarely so hesitant. ironic, that’s how i used to feel and you’d always say: “just say something!”
so, just write something dave, whenever you want to - about whatever…we’ll drop by.
yes, if its longer than about two screen lengths you’ll probably have some people who don’t finish it (unless its particularly provocative). personally, i do try to write to form and keep it short. but that’s my thing, you’re not bound by it.
bless you dude.
10. John Hobbs | October 28th, 2009 at 2:35 pm
Hey David,
I was glad to see this post. I too understand everything you said, especially, “I was made for Tozer, not Twitter.” I do however have you in my blogroll and pop in here about once a week.
So many things tug at us. Discerning where to give our time can be challenging. So, I hope you are able to find the time now and then to post a liitle something, because like many others I’ll be looking.
Blessings to you!
John
11. J Holsworth Stevenson | October 29th, 2009 at 10:03 am
Hear, hear! Your candour is welcome, and your writing truly inspiring. Keep it up, do!
12. Tui | November 1st, 2009 at 6:54 pm
You write. I read. I pass it on to another. Another takes it into a prison. The next thing a group in prison start fasting and praying for their country.
This only happened because you wrote …. about Joel.
I can’t pass it on if you don’t write it.
True Story.
13. Chris | November 5th, 2009 at 12:01 pm
Dave,
prophetic and intercession is ready (once again) to cross pollinate with worship and compassion - an “earthquake” looms just below IHOP’s address. I can’t imagine the pressure you and a number of the leaders had to walk through (in the Spirit) this past season….Good times, eh??
With that, glad you’re back blogging; looking forward to your insights, particularly this next season.
Blessings to you
14. Chris | November 12th, 2009 at 8:29 am
Dave,
It’s not a question of if revival is coming. The more important question will soon be can our faith survive the pressure that revival has brought - the glory and the gory. There is a book on the history of IHOP’s involvement with anotherstream that is critical for the hour we are living in at the base. Lessons to be learned, a fair expostion. “The Quest for the Radical Middle” is the title; if you’re interested, would love to hear your thoughts on those sections which IHOP played a significant role.
History, illumined by Holy Spirit, can truly be a life saver and the key to transition from visitation to habitation…
Blessings,
Chris
15. Danielle | November 20th, 2009 at 1:12 am
I enjoy reading your thoughts. There are certian people that I enjoy gleaning from. I myself have just recently begun to write again. It’s like one of those things that–you don’t think about but when you do do it..you love it! Like popcorn! I really enjoy popcorn but I never remember to actually buy it because I’m too pressed with the riggors of shopping for what I normally get.
keep goin sliker!
16. Donovan | December 12th, 2009 at 8:56 pm
I eat it up… although I do enjoy reading over old articles (cause I stumbled upon the site only a little while ago) I would love to see new posts make em long and meaty… I much prefer a complete article to one liners… so blog is still cool no matter how many see it as dead and gone.
One thing would really like to see is a series of posts responding to Calvinism. It seems everywhere I go people are preaching it, and I was highly turned off when I heard “limited atonement” and now getting clarity on these issues has become a passion of mine.
17. Genavieve | January 3rd, 2010 at 2:32 pm
I just happened to look at this blog from your Facebook page for the first time in a couple years. Reading the post above, I felt lead to encourage you with how this blog has had an impact on me. When I went to One Thing for the first time three years ago He flipped everything up-side-down in a very, unexpected, but welcomed way. I went home struggling to stay connected to the intimacy and hunger I found at IHOP, and baffled in how to walk it out myself. In that season, I would read this blog, and others I found by IHOP-er’s, and devour every word while on my breaks at work. I would end up under my desk (so co-workers couldn’t see me) praying in tongues asking God for MORE! I knew it was weird but I didn’t care. I had found a new place in God, hunger was awakened, and I didn’t know anyone personally that I could run with at that point. I am now living in KC still hungry and wanting more. I know that this blog and others are part of what got me here, and kept me on the path God has for me. There has been bumps along the way, and lots of apposing voices calling me off that path, but knowing I was not alone and that there was always more has kept me. He has been so faithful, so kind, so merciful, and one of the things He used to keep my eyes on the prize was this blog. Even if it’s sporadic Holy Spirit likes to use your gifts through this blog to bless the body and encourage the Bride. He is making her ready, and using us, each with the gifts He’s given, to do it. Thank you for letting Him use you. May HE increase and increase in you, Glory to Glory!
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