Paid? By Kathleen McAnear Smith

 

   Paid?

Psalm 128: 2 You shall eat the fruit of the labour of your hands;you shall be blessed, and it shall be well with you.

The verse above has stopped me in my tracks. I am working hard. So are a lot of people. Yet, when my prayer partner discussed her challenge concerning doing too much for free I knew I needed to listen.

 Annabelle (real prayer partner but not her real name) said she had just had another phone call asking if, as a Christian, she would do coaching for free. She would love to. She has that kind of spirit of generosity.

Annabelle is sensible as well as generous, so she made a quick assessment of how much she was doing for free and the accounts books looked a little unbalanced. Wow. Annabelle might not be eating from the fruit of her labours if she kept up the free stuff. Yes, she prays about all her work, and always wants to serve God. 

As I listened, I did my own inventory. I love to write blogposts. Next to working on my novel about seven outrageous grandmothers, it is my favourite thing to do. I checked my own financial books, and I had to admit that I was challenged by lower royalties this year ( three “how to books”). I also could do with facing the numerical facts which indicated that my writing-hands might benefit with a blogpost or two that pays ( and yes, self doubt about ability comes into this).

I have gone online and seen the adverts for writing posts for pay, but all that I have found so far charge  for being on their list. I’d be paying out before I was even paid. I have no problem with paying my dues in the writing world, but I truly need to see and seek how God wants to establish the work of my hands so that there is fruit abounding. Before anyone replies that my writing might have blessed someone and that should be enough, especially as I do have more than enough to put food on my table, I want to say again that this verse has stopped me in my tracks. I know when the Holy Spirit is trying to get a word into my spirit. As I seek God’s leading on this topic I begin to see the point of getting paid: my heart is to bless and bless others from a full table of fruit. 

At the end of our discussion Annabelle decided she would continue to coach for free, but she would only do a portion of her work for free. She even established a waiting list for those that were seeking free coaching. She looks forward to blessing people with her time and expertise but it would be out of the earnings from paid coaching. 

 I’ve made a start in praying, pondering, supposing about paid posts and have set a goal of finding at least one blogpost in which I might be paid. It’s a start.

Father God, we know your retirement benefits are out of this world and you provide for all you call us to do. I simply ask that you show me the next step in getting paid for the writing You call me to write. Love, Kathleen