Audience of One?

I've been pondering this one for a few days, so I thought I'd write about it.

I mean this part with much love in my heart...please know that.

I have some friends who love stats. Blog stats. Facebook stats. Website stats. How many hits? What are the peak hours? How do you drive up the number of comments and likes and followers? They are happiest when discovering and analyzing the stats and adjusting everything about their practices to increase the traffic flow.

To be honest?

I struggle with that. For the longest time, I didn't even know Blogger kept track of stats unless you added a site meter. Then one of my friends showed me and suddenly I found myself visiting that page a lot. Which posts did people like? Was I appropriately tugging at heartstrings? Did I share vulnerably enough? Too much?

I decided right then I wouldn't add a public site meter to my page. I wouldn't add the box to show how many followers I have.

Because I don't want that to be the point of the blog.

The blog is about keeping track of what I've done (sort of a backup scrapbook) and the lessons I've learned along the way. Sharing with you life and heart and hoping you like hanging out here enough to stay. But if you don't...it's okay. I still want to write. Still want to share.

Last week, Lynne gave me an article she found in a magazine...it was about Ann Voskamp. You know how I love her writing. This part at the end of the article addressed her blog and blew me away:

I've never had comments. I've never installed a site meter on it. So I was never thinking there was anyone really out there.

Ann Voskamp's blog (I would guess) is read by thousands of women every day. But she doesn't open comments and she doesn't keep track of the traffic. It's her ministry space. And she keeps it sacred that way. When asked if she has any idea how many readers she has, she said,

I feel it's like David taking a census. This is for God to do whatever God wants to do. When you write, it's to an audience of one. It's to Him. If He takes it to one person and changes or influences or encourages one person, that counts. Jesus left the 99 for the one.

Makes me think. Do I do that? Despite my lack of posted follower stats or site meter stats, does my heart really write for an audience of one? Do I live to please HIM and let HIM take my words and actions where He may?