When writing is therapy By Claire Musters

I know there is a huge variety within this group; writers who produce fiction, others who write poetry for pleasure, still others who are copywriters – there is no end to the differences in our experiences with writing. But I know one thing we have in common: a real love for writing; a need to do it.

I have found that need become much more personal in recent days. I do feel called to write out of my life experiences and what God has taught me, in order to help and encourage others. And yet I now have a file on my computer that I am pouring myself out into. I have an inkling God will use some of it, in a very different format, in the future but, for now, it is proving cathartic and therapeutic for me. 

You see, we lost a dear friend recently. A young mum in our church family died after a fairly short battle with cancer. It has rocked our church, due to her age and the young family she leaves behind. But it has also brought us closer together in renewed unity and support.

My husband and I had the huge privilege of walking alongside her and her husband, particularly in the last few months of her life. As her pastor, my husband was asked to provide communion, pray, anoint her with oil – simply be there for her. And we have seen, since she died, that we have needed to do that for many other people, as her death has brought up a lot of past hurts and grief.

This has all made me realise that not only am I grieving myself, but together we are leading a community of people through grief. As I head up our worship teams, I have been heavily involved in looking at the songs that we’ve sung in our meetings since and how they can help people process. 

So I now have a file entitled ‘leading others through grief’. In it I am splurging to God what it feels like to walk through that numbness and pain myself, but also support others. A lot of tears have been shed, but I’ve also found an immense relief as I’ve expressed my thoughts in written form. Sometimes the very act of writing has enabled me to understand what I’m actually feeling, in those moments when I’m overwhelmed and struggling to get myself together enough to meet with another grieving friend.

Writing, for me, has become therapy in this season. A way to connect with God, unburden myself and dig deep into His wisdom, love, grace and mercy. As someone who has regularly journalled, I know the beauty in writing my emotions down and inviting God into them. But the words I have put down into this new file have taken it to a new level. So much of it is raw and exposed - but it feels vital and necessary. It's become a real lifeline.

I am so grateful to God for the gift of writing – sometimes our motivation in getting our work ‘out there’ is to help others, but it is so amazing when God uses it to minister directly to our hearts.

Claire is a freelance writer, speaker and editor, mum to two gorgeous children, pastor’s wife, worship leader and school governor. Her books include Taking off the mask: daring to be the person God created you to be, Cover to Cover: Ezekiel A prophet for all times, Cover to Cover: 1–3 John Walking in the truth, Cover to Cover: David: A man after God's own heart, Insight Into Managing Conflict, Insight Into Self-acceptance and Insight Into Burnout. She also writes Bible study notes. To find out more about her, please visit www.clairemusters.com and @CMusters on Twitter.