The encouragement of friends is often how God sends hope and help into our lives! I would love to hear your thoughts!
Wandering Wednesdays
“I just wanted to encourage you and let you know that I am always compelled to read your blog…”
“Awesome post!”
“Great analogy…”
I have had a rough summer, months, okay—year? It has dragged on with health problems and often I wondered why I keep writing. Comments from readers give me a reason to carry on. Readers seldom know how much writers crave their feedback. If it’s a blog, we love comments. If it’s a book, we long for reviews. A few simple words to let us know that we’ve connected with humanity—that someone out there reads our work. It can make a day or encourage for weeks.
These messages came through my blog, encouraging me that my words go beyond my computer They reach the world. These kind women blessed me when I was feeling low. They lifted my spirits and brightened my day.
Writing is a lonely pursuit, and writers tend to be thinkers and “ponderers.” We sit alone with a computer or notebook attempting to translate the feelings in our hearts into words on a page than will mean something in the life of someone we may never meet.
We work, honing our words and phrases until they resonate with our hearts. We love words and feel their power to change an influence our world. Most of us feel compelled to put things on paper and would do so even if no one ever read it.
Our ponderings take place in solitude. We seldom see the faces or hear the comments of our readers. We often have no one to bounce ideas off at the odd times we choose to write. So where do we turn for encouragement and company? How do we be alone where the creative juices flow, but have human companionship in the lonely hours when we toil alone?
Aside from the blessed comments of my readers, the Lord blessed me with two treasures, friends so dear that I feel I’ve known them a lifetime, yet we’ve only seen each other once. I met the first one via Twitter. One day she messaged me through Facebook and then invited the other to join us.
I’m not alone any more. They critique my work. I critique theirs. We share prayer requests and the events of our days. We provide companionship, laughs, encouragement, and advice—leave a message and the others read it when they can. Sometimes we manage to be online together—comments cross each other, stickers, photos, jokes, scriptures, songs, blogs—the messages fly. We pray for each other, our families, and our writing. We rejoice and we cry.
In a world where communication happens in so many forms at such a rapid speed, we don’t have to be alone. Even in the lonely hours of the night, someone is awake and looking for someone to pray or cheer.
I thank God for my precious blessings—my sisters of the heart—my precious friends—my readers. We share something special.
You are my treasured gifts from God who make me feel my lonely pursuit is not so lonely or so strange. God bless you! May God brighten your day as you have brightened mine!
Who do you know that needs encouragement today? Take a moment to show them you care.
Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing. 1 Thessalonians 5:11
© Copyright Norma Gail Thurston Holtman, July 24, 2015
About the author:
Norma Gail’s contemporary Christian romance, Land of My Dreams, released in 2014. She is a Bible study leader, 
and writes devotionals for ChristianDevotions.us, StitchesthruTime blog, and “The Secret Place.” She belongs to American Christian Fiction Writers, Romance Writers of America, and the New Mexico Christian Novelists. She is married and has two adult children.
Connect with Norma:
Website: www.normagail.org
Book trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KQbZIoC_JSE
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorNormaGail
Google+: https://plus.google.com/u/0/+NormaGailwrites
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/normagailth/boards/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7874459
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Norma_Gail
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/pub/norma-gail-thurston-holtman/42/71a/3b2
Book Links:
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Land-My-Dreams-Norma-Gail/dp/1941103170
Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/land-of-my-dreams-norma-gail/1119606864?ean=9781941103173
Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas Bookstore: http://store.lpcbooks.com/product/land-of-my-dreams/
8 Comments
Thank you Norma. I am pleased to have blessed your week even a little after the way your blog blesses me time and again.
Thank you, Terrill! Writers thrive on the encouragement of readers!
So blessed to have you in my life. Love you dear friend 🙂
As I am to have you!
nice – we all need to have friends – in and out of blogging 😀
Amen! They keep us going!
Oh Noram…how sweet! Thank you. You are so precious.
I love my sweet friends! You bless my life in so many ways!