Three Things You Won't Learn Until You Blog

Hey friends!

I can't believe it's already August. For sixteen years, this month has held new beginnings; but now that I've graduated college, it's simply August. But this month will always be special to me because it marks the anniversary of this blog! I started writing in 2015 at the beginning of my sophomore year of college, and since then I've learned and grown so much. My first post ever was the smash hit "Three Things You Won't Learn At Freshman Orientation," so today I'm sharing three things I've learned along the blogging journey since then. 

BE A LISTENER.

1. To people.

So much of what I write comes from my own stories of what I feel and what God is teaching me, but the most beautiful thing God has done with that is show me that I'm not alone. It honestly makes my day when people reach out to me after reading a post to share what it meant to them. I get this open door to ask and hear about their life, even if it's just a glimpse. 

It reminds me that everyone has a story. Whatever you feel, whatever you are going through, I promise someone out there feels or has felt the same way. Everyone is just looking for someone to fall back on, to hear them, to come home to. As humans, we crave that connection/closeness with others. We are all much more relatable than we think. 

You can be a listener to people via the internet, which is a lot of times much easier than real life. Vulnerability is hard and typing/writing is often preferred over speaking out loud, face to face. But remember to be a listener in person in the everyday as well. Look for the open doors that are harder to spot because they're just barely cracked open. Or maybe they're completely closed, but waiting for someone to knock and say "I'm here. Tell me everything." Look for people. Look for the doors and just be there to listen.

2. To God. 

Writing has trained the muscle of discernment in me. 

The past three years I have learned so much more of what it means to hear God and discern His voice from my own or the voices of others. Sometimes I write something out of hurt or anger or pressure to just have material; but if I go to post it, there is this unsettling feeling in my spirit that I've learned to recognize as a hard no from God. I've gotten better at recognizing whether it's fear holding me back or a nudge from God asking me to wait. Other times, I write something that I'm passionate about that is vulnerable and hard; and there's this burning feeling that I can't not post it. 

As in everyday life, learning God's voice takes time and practice. His voice also looks different for everyone. Thankfully I can say there's never been something I've regretted posting, but there have definitely been times my writing has not been at its best. I've learned to wait on posting anything until I get that go-ahead from the Lord. 

The funny thing is, sometimes God speaks through people. So by listening to the stories of people, I learn to listen for the voice of God. Where is God in their story? How is He at work? What would He tell them if they were standing face to face? I get to hear the hurts and joys and pains and excitement of being human, and I know when the Lord asks me to write something in response.

EVERYONE HAS WORDS.

This is an idea that follows the "everyone has a story" theme and my belief that everyone is creative.

Sometimes I get stuck on what to write about and end up taking an unwanted hiatus from blogging when I can't figure out what to write on next. Annie F. Downs summed it up in a podcast I listened to recently on how she wrote her books and the struggle with "writer's block." It's the idea that writers claim to run out of words or topics to write about, but you never run out of things to talk about. Or if you run out of things to talk about with someone, you never run out of thoughts. You never run out of feelings.

Whether those thoughts come out in the form of writing is up to you. Maybe it's in the form of painting or speaking or whatever else form of communication there is. But never claim you've run out of things to say.

BRAVE IS WRITING IT ANYWAYS.

If your thoughts do come out in writing, then write your little heart out. 

Keep a journal. Start a blog. Get the words out somehow.

But I can't promise it'll be easy. 

I started this blog without any idea of where it would go or what it would become. At the time, there was this blogging trend going on in my circles; and truthfully I didn't want to just be another person jumping on the bandwagon. My pride and fear of following the crowd is actually what stopped me from starting a blog sooner. But there was so much good going on in my life, so many things God was doing in me that I couldn't keep to myself any longer. 

So I did very minimal research and clicked publish on that first post having no idea if anyone would even read it, if it would die with the fad, or what I would even write about next if it took off. 

And honestly, that's how I still feel sometimes. Granted, I've learned to better operate with confidence in the things God has put on my heart... but it's not hard for fear to creep in and remind me I have no idea what I'm doing. I have no doubt that fear will always be trying to steal the throne. In that case, bravery will never look like vanquishing that fear. It will just look like writing and writing and writing and clicking publish even if I'm afraid. It will look like continuing to write even if my words are only read by a single person. It's blocking out the worries over what people will think and remembering that I know God's voice and know He is asking me to trust Him here. 

I'm learning more and more how to trust God with everything, especially with this special space of mine. But if I hadn't been brave in publishing the first post, I wouldn't have had some of the sweetest encounters with God and people that I've had. Like I mentioned earlier, the blog has opened up conversations with people I thought I had no connection with. I've made new friends in new states who have used my posts in lifegroup lessons... all because of a Facebook share to an audience I don't have normal access to. My post on Taylor Swift And The Problem With Hardened Hearts was the first to reach over a thousand views, and I have readers from all over the world. 

I say all this not to brag, but to celebrate what the Lord has done and point out what He can do with such a seemingly small idea/desire.

I know it can be hard to share the things close to you. Vulnerability is not a flipped switch, but an exercise. But I also know that God will take care of you in vulnerability. So if He's asking you to write, then please write. Don't do it for the fame and fortune or because you have all the knowledge to share with us lowly peasants. Don't do it for an ego boost or because you have life all figured out... but do it because God has gifted you and empowered you to share the things He's put on your heart. 

You have a voice that deserves to be heard. You can do this.

~ ~ ~

So happy 3rd birthday to this precious little blog baby of mine. May it always be a space for real talks saturated with vulnerability and authenticity on life and love and God. Thank you to everyone who takes the time to read these thoughts and keep up with my life. To everyone who has encouraged me and pushed me to keep writing. It means so much to me, and this blog would not be what it is without you.

What's been your favorite post so far and how has God used it in your life? I'd love to know! Also, if anyone has more questions on how I got started or my writing process, please feel free to shoot me a message! I can't promise I know what I'm doing, but we can always not know what we're doing together.