Handle With Care - by Meryl McKean

 

As I pulled out of my driveway early one morning, I heard a crash and a searing metallic scrape.
I stopped quickly, jumped out of the car and surveyed the damage. I’d managed to turn slightly too sharply out of my driveway and catch the edge of a low lying wall on my passenger side. Pieces of wall lay scattered over the end of my drive.

That was an unpleasant and expensive start to my day!

It has got me thinking about walls though. Not the walls of separation and division that we see all over the place and which are often difficult to tear down, but walls of construction.

I’m sure most of you have seen a dry-stone wall. They divide fields in patchwork patterns, especially in the north of the country. These walls take skill to build and last for many years. They have good foundations and are made using a variety of stones. Each stone is handled by the wall builder and distributed with care and precision throughout the wall. These walls are not held together by mortar but each stone interacts with the others to form a stable structure. 

Writing in a number of ways is like building a wall. Every piece has its foundational stones, then we  work to fit in each idea, phrase or conversation to build the wall of words. We then make adjustments as we see an ill-fitting word or something that seems out of balance, eliminating the unnecessary and editing out the errors. The weight and shape of words is important to convey our intentions. These alterations can take some time. Just as each stone in the wall has some space around the edges as it leans into its neighbour, so our words need space. Our reader needs to be provoked to reflect and respond to our writing. As Christians we want the Holy spirit to flow around our words too.

Like my wall, our created pieces are vulnerable. Sometimes we lack the confidence to put them out there, afraid that someone might knock them down with a harsh word. At other times we experience rejection or criticism when we dare to share.  Are there are those this reading today who feel like their writing has been pulled down or misunderstood? Don’t give up – we have at our side the master builder – Jesus Christ - the creator of everything. He will work with you giving you wisdom, helping you to build or rebuild. Lay those pieces of your precious wall of words at his feet and ask him to partner with you in rebuilding. He wants to work with us all to build something powerful and inspiring for our readers, that will enable us to grow and others to be blessed.

Bio

Meryl McKean loves writing devotionals and poems and has had a few articles published over the years as well as using her writing in her work. Recently she was encouraged being placed 3rd in an ACW competition. She wants her writing to be a tool which helps others draw closer to God. She is married to Andy and lives in Bedford where she loves exploring the countryside with her camera in hand. Her day job as a member of her church staff leadership team is full of challenges and opportunities.