Laugh Out Loud
This article is an entry in the MAI Devotional Writing Contest. Try your hand at a 400-word devotional to encourage fellow writers worldwide. See contest guidelines and rules.
By Joy A. Valdez, Trinidad
I chuckled at the copy book page I was holding in my hand, words written by my son in his early teens.
Dear Mother, my problem, I could say, is that I have not been focusing on my schoolwork. I am still eager to play around. As a result my marks have been continually dwindling in the past term. I am regretfully sorry and I have a feeling that this month’s mark is not going to be any better. I will speak to the Lord about it and ask him for the guidance and maturity I need to settle down. I will speak to him tonight.
I decided to WhatsApp a copy to him. His response was immediate and typical: “lol”
I reflected on the day my son had gotten married. When it was time for me to give
my speech, I had thanked everyone for coming and explained that I had written a poem entitled, “To My Son on His Wedding Day”, which I felt would best capture all I had to say. Other persons gave their wishes for the happiness of the couple and when it was time for my son to respond he stood up, laughing and waving a sheet of paper in his hand.
“Ladies and gentlemen,” he began, “I just want you all to know that my mother and I did not talk to each other about what we were going to say today.”
I looked at him quizzically.
“I want you to know that I too have written a poem which I feel will best capture what I have to say today. It is entitled, “To My Wife on Our Wedding Day.”
His laughter became infectious; the gathering erupted. I too was laughing, but I was mostly thanking God. The Bible tells us that we should “start children off on the way they should go and even when they are old they will not turn from it.” Proverbs 22:6 NIV
The poem was well-written. In it my son pledged his love to his wife until death separated them. I had taught my son to love and follow the Lord. What became clear to me that day, however, was how much more he had been learning from me while he was growing up.
Thank you, Heavenly Father, for always blessing your children beyond our expectations.
Joy Angela Valdez is a Christian mother and grandmother who has accepted her first name as her life’s mission. She has been writing for as long as she can remember and is a published poet. She loves photography and enjoys creating imaginary characters from cloudy skies.
Wait, there’s more! Did you enjoy this article? Click the Facebook “Like” icon to vote for it in the MAI Devotional Writing Contest. The entry posted with the greatest number of Likes will win the People’s Choice Award and $100 USD.
Enter the MAI Devotional Writing Contest. Pen a 400-word devotional to encourage fellow writers worldwide. See contest guidelines and rules.
Photo above courtesy of Tanatat, Freedigitalphotos
KEEP SOWING THE SEED
By Stella Okoronkwo
“A farmer went out to sow his seed. 4 As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path… Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown…”
A humanitarian worker sent me a note just to tell me that he took my very first book to a refugee camp and used them to teach some refugees. On reading the story I used in the first chapter to illustrate how God sacrificed His only son for humanity, a woman got convicted about her need for the Savior and broke down in tears surrendering her life to Christ. The man said he sent me that story just to let me know my writing is not in vain no matter how difficult it may seem. That encouraged me to take my writing career as a serious Kingdom business even though reading habits are very low these days in the face of technological advances. Sixteen years down the line, many more books hit the market as a result of that first book.
A writer is a seed sower not knowing the kind of soil the seeds will fall on. Birds, rocks, sun and rain are also external factors that can affect seeds.
A writer’s major tools are typewriters or computers or paper and pen. Wielding ideas, words and punctuations, metaphors, similes, images and anecdotes, he keeps scattering seeds on unknown soil. But he simply waters it with his prayers and sometimes his tears. He goes his way and begins to think about the next book idea. Thankfully to God, some of them fall on good soil and bear fruits leading to eternal life. Only a few fall on bad soil. Another brother shared with us about the power of the printed page. He picked up a tract blown by the wind into the bush. He sat down there, read the tract and gave his life to Christ. He grew spiritually to become a Christian leader in Ethiopia.
PRAYER: Oh Lord anoint my hands that I may write more and sow more into more lives in Jesus’ name! Amen
.
Stella Okoronkwo, a former lecturer of communications at Daystar University in Nairobi, Kenya, hails from the Eastern part of Nigeria. She is a community development agent, teacher, Bible teacher, trainer, capacity builder and author of best-selling books such as Healing from Depression, Facts About Sex for Youth, Discipline of Fasting, Growing in Christ When Young, Chika Goes to School, Comment Batir sur le Rocher, La Croissance Spirituelle, Comment Jeuner pour Triompher, La puissance de l’Adoration and many others. She is a mother of three young adults and a pastor’s wife.
Lovely contribution