Words, words, words

Also known as: Some musings on my passion for words

Last Saturday, I was invited to join Bronze Age Media‘s Author At Once Part 2 workshop to be a part of the panel. The workshop was about how budding authors can market their novels, and I was there to speak for the book bloggers and book club members. I came there without preparation, as usual (by preparation, I meant a presentation, outline, etc), save for the things I know, which is kind of how I have been doing things lately. ((I realize that’s not really a good way to go all the time…but that’s for another post)) It was a very productive afternoon, and I stayed longer than I intended, partly because I was sitting at the other end of the room and leaving would be quite disturbing for everyone especially while someone was talking and because it was a very interesting workshop, even if I have no novel to start marketing (not anytime soon, anyway).

Anyway, the afternoon reminded me of some things that I really kind of know about myself, mainly this: I love words. It’s no secret, with how much I talk and how much I read and write. I mean, I even like lyrics more than the music whenever I listen to songs! There is nothing like words strung together in the right way to give me a little thrill. It’s like…when I see a beautiful sunrise/sunset (depends on my shift :D), or when I hear from a friend that I haven’t heard from a long time — there’s a flutter in my heart that tells me: I am made for this.

Okay, perhaps that’s a bit of an exaggeration. Or not. There was this moment back I was about to graduate from college and I was in the middle of deciding/discerning if I want to be a full-time missionary or a corporate slave girl. I was at a send-off event for the Metro Manila delegates of the YFC International Leaders’ Conference, and we were having the final worship. They played Hillsong’s To The Ends of the Earth and there was just this one line that struck me and stayed with me for the rest of the summer:

And I would give the world to tell Your story, because I know that You love me.

It’s not the most powerful line in the song, but man, how much power that had over me that afternoon. I felt that if there was ever a time when I want to know what God wants me to do, then it was probably that line.

Fast forward a few years later, and I am…a corporate girl. Not that I don’t think I am not living my calling. Ever since then, I’ve always felt that I was being called to write about God, but I wasn’t sure if it was supposed to be full time or not. My job may not be completely about writing (about God or something else), but having my job gives me an opportunity to play with words, or at least do word-related things. Like…writing for a devotional. Or a chance to read books and review them based on how I see it with my faith and beliefs. Or, attend workshops like what I attended last Saturday and somehow help other people realize that what they’re doing is somehow worthwhile, and that there are people who would appreciate the things they write.

Or, you know, just blogging right here. About life. And passions. And love.

Somehow, those little things, even if I’m not doing it full time, gives me that flutter in my heart that tells me: I am made for this.

I may not be where I should be just yet, but I feel like I’m on my way there. And it’s nice to be affirmed of that.

Now…maybe I really need to get back on those unfinished manuscripts. Hmm.