Leslie
And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell?
It is so easy for writers to compare themselves to others in the world of social media, measuring our worth by our number of “likes” or shares on Facebook. I have been struggling with this for the past few weeks, comparing myself to an amazing writer I’ll call X. But it was right before I fell asleep the other night that God brought a thought to mind,
The world doesn’t need another X, it already has one. The world needs a Leslie Verner.
And something about that brought me so much peace. Just as it is silly for an ear to try and be an eye, it is ridiculous to think that my writing would be the same as someone who lives in another part of the world, who has had a very different history from me.
The world needs you, too, even though you may feel like an insignificant little ear (I certainly do!). God wants to use you in your corner of the world as you sit typing away on your laptop or scribbling in your journal. You have a story and perspective to tell that no one else has. And God wants to use you as an eyewitness to complete the body of writers that are telling His story in the world right now.
Do you ever struggle with comparison? What truths do you tell yourself to combat the lies in your head?
Related Article:
Facebook Envy, by Brianna Dewitt
Previous Post~Eden & Vulnerability: Nakey, No Shame
Next Post~Personal Discoveries in 2015: Friendships, Spirituality & Writing
Linking up with Thought-Provoking Thursday and #livefree Thursday and Coffee for Your Heart
and Word Filled Wednesdays
We all need this reminder more than we know. It is such a trap we fall into so easily. Comparison and watching the "stats." I remind myself of the unique things God has gifted me with, the places I have been and the people I have known. I try to remember no one else has the stories I have built up in their heart and whether no one reads them God has given me an obligation to share them. Sometimes it helps:) Blessings!
I love that and I think that's the part that struggle with sometimes: is it still worth writing if no one ever reads what I'm writing? But if it is something that God has put on my heart to do, then the answer has to be YES. Glad I'm not the only one to have these struggles!
I love this so much it almost made me cry. I was just telling a friend that sometimes I don't know why I do this or who for. I really needed this at just this moment.
Oh good! I'm really preaching to myself here, but thought if I was struggling with these things, then maybe other writers are, too. Keep on! You're making a difference, even if it's just in your own heart! (Though most likely it is influencing others more than you know).
Thank you for this powerful encouragement! I love verse from 1 Corinthians. This is great perspective to have though it can be hard to remember in the moment. I pray that we can lean on these words in our times of doubt and fear. Thanks again for sharing this Leslie 🙂
Thanks for stopping by! And I can definitely relate to feeling doubt and fear at times, but comfort that God uses us in spite of our weakness.
Leslie, so lovely to "meet you" today through Suzie's link up. I love the beautiful graphics in this post. — Comparison is a killer, ain't it? I read Emily Freeman's book Simply Tuesday last year, and she talked about how we should cheer one another on, rather than criticize and compare. That alliterative encouragement has stuck in my head, and when I start having negative thoughts, I remind myself my job is to be a cheerleader, not a critic.
Blessings 🙂
Those are great truths! Thanks for the thoughts;-)
Leslie, just realized you linked up at Thought-Provoking Thursday, too! Welcome 🙂
I know, I think we were both linking up at the same time;-)
I am so guilty of fixating on numbers and measuring the worthiness of what I have to say by them! Love this. 🙂
I KNOW! I keep toying with the idea of shutting off my "stats" completely. But then I still want to know if ANYONE is reading what I'm writing;-) Ah, the struggle.
"God wants to use you in your corner of the world"…Those words really hit home for me. I've been struggling with a similar issue and you know what? God just used YOU to help me see things clearer. Thanks for that and keep doing what you're doing. 🙂
I'm so glad!
Hi Leslie, I just found you on Holley Gerth's linkup, which I posted on for the first time last week, and I'm so glad I did! What you said about how ridiculous it would be for an ear to want to be an eye – that the body needs both – really hit me. My blog is unique in its niche, and so I find it can be difficult to grow my audience base. I am learning to stay focused on the Lord, knowing His assignment for me is just as important as those He has given others with different (and perceptively larger) assignments! Thank you for this post. I appreciate you and what you're doing!
Thanks so much for your comment! I'm glad this was what you needed right now. Just be faithful to the words God has put in you and He will direct them towards the people who need to hear them (again, preaching to myself, here!). Blessings, sister!
Thanks Leslie for your page for writers. I was first directed to your blog by my daughter in law who along with my son and their two young boys, are about to experience their first reentry from the mission field of 4 years. Your Day 9 post is very helpful and I have passed it along to my 3 daughters and their husbands so that we can be sensitive to their needs when they come home for a season.
I write a blog (actually 3) myself. I am a Christian, wife of a retired Baptist minister, mother of 4 children (all involved in ministry), retired school teacher, and in my retirement years, a writer. I have written a book, Fiery Darts: Satan's Weapon of Choice and my blog, Fiery Darts, accompanies it. I write a blog, Missionarys Mom, about what it is like to be the mom of a missionary, and lastly I write a blog about the visit my husband and I took to Scotland last August to be with my son and his wife, so we could meet our brand-new grandson of 6 months. I look forward to learning more about writing from your posts.
I feel like you should be the one writing this, not me! I'd love to hear more of your input from your experience writing. And I'm glad that you've found some of my re-entry posts and experiences useful. I hope they can help people to at least be more aware of some of the hurdles in coming home that caught me by surprise. Thanks for writing and commenting!