Freedom of a Child - Daily Inspiration

Let their flesh be renewed like a child's, let them be restored as in the days of their youth. Job 33:25

People die every day. It's a fact of life.

Did you ever stop to think that all those people had plans? They planned on losing ten pounds, writing that book, falling in love. But now it's too late. They waited too long to accomplish their goals and now their life is over.

What about you? Do you have plans? You know the ones I'm talking about. The ones you'll accomplish when you get around to them. Someday, but just maybe not today. Tomorrow? Or the day after?

There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens - Ecclesiastes 3:1

Since 1998 I've been writing a web serial called The Legacy. (It's all about spies. Visit my blog at thelegacy.blogspot.com if you are interested).

And since 1998 my sister, Andi, has been encouraging me to write a real novel. So, what have I been doing... You know where this is going, right?

I'll do it someday. Someday when I'm not too busy. I know it's going to take A LOT of time. Excuse after excuse.

I have learned a lot after all these years of writing my own original fiction. I often wonder how I graduated twenty-second in my class with such under-developed writing skills. But I've made up for them since then.

I've always been a big fan of Nancy Drew and Encyclopedia Brown. They could always figure out anything. And I wanted to have characters like that too. That's why when I first started writing, I made my characters along a similar vein.

My brother was nine when I started this writing journey. And he was my only audience. I wrote about a group of characters called The Outbacks. Four very different kids, two were a brother and sister. And they had somehow become friends and had great adventures.

Since Aaron, my brother, was the only person I read them to, I didn't care how bad the writing was. And believe me, it was bad. Back then I was free to create anything. Nothing held me back.

Fast-forward to now. I don't have that same freedom. I've let all the expectations I've imagined others have of me to grind my writing wheel to a halt. They all expect too much of me, I say to myself. But truly, it's me to expects too much of me.

When I first wrote fan fiction, I used to love putting the characters in dire situations. I'd get giddy about it and tell my parents my plans to put these imaginary people through the ringer. I didn't care. It was fun.

Now I feel stifled. And I wonder if my writing is good enough. I'll flip to Twitter and see if anyone has responded to my post, retweeted me. Have I been validated for all my hard work?

Why do we do these things to ourselves? Why can't we be like little children giddy at the prospect of creation. Creating just to create and not caring about the rest.

My prayer for you today is to find that freedom that is so alive in the children of today. Do things with freedom and passion. Don't dwell on what anyone else thinks. Work on your fun creation today, because tomorrow may come too soon.

And he said: "Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven." - Matthew 18:3