The last time Ryan and I visited the
little church near home where I’m filling in some this year, the pastor stopped
me on the way out the door and asked me to ponder a question for him. He said
to me, “I would love to know what inspires you. Will you think about it and
write out your thoughts for me?” Ryan, I’m pretty sure, stifled laughter,
because not much more thrills my heart than being asked to ponder and write
about a question like this one.
I
decided to share my thoughts here, too, and who knows? Maybe you’ll want to
take the challenge and think about what it means for you! (If you do, I’d love
to hear, if you’re sharing.)
It sounds a bit like a
Sunday School answer to start with saying God, but I do have to
say that first, because the truth is, Creator God, who made me in His image,
has given me a love for creativity that I believe is a tiny sliver of the same
love of creativity HE has. I cannot imagine that anything I ever am inspired by
doesn’t somehow have its roots in God alone and His inspiration in me. He has
given me a unique set of loves and passions, and I believe any inspiration I
have comes from His heart and His love for me.
Having established
that, I’ll move on to some of the specific things that inspire me.
I am possibly most inspired
when I write. I know different writers have different methods and practices of
writing, but for me, the writing itself is when I learn what I think and feel.
I am not one who typically preplans or outlines much of the writing ahead of
time. A general topic is about as detailed as I get before I sit down and let
my fingers fly over a keyboard. I can’t explain how many times I learn what I
think as I feel it come out my fingertips onto the screen. Something happens inside
me as I write that I can’t explain. I get lost in it. I dive into a world in my
mind that makes me forget to eat, drink coffee, and go to the bathroom, and
words pour out in ways I can’t quite explain. When I’m done and I read over the
words before me, I understand my own thoughts better. I understand what God is
trying to teach me, because I learn it as I write it. That is inspiration, and
I have no idea if it even makes any sense to you as you read this. But it is
true for me, and because of that, writing is one of the most inspiring things I
ever do.
I’m also inspired by
the books I read. I love it when my schedule affords me enough time to just
curl up in a corner with a book and learn from the words on the page. I have no
idea if all the authors have been inspired by their own writing in the way they
inspire me with that writing, but I do learn so much from them. I’m
inspired to be a better writer as I read the words of my fellow authors. I make
page-friends with them as I read their hearts spilled out in print. Fiction,
non-fiction, it doesn’t matter. Reading inspires me to live, to write, to
create. This is one reason it is so hard for me to get rid of books, because
once I’ve owned, read, and lived in a book, it becomes part of my story, and I
cannot imagine letting go of it.
In recent years, I’ve
found the same level of inspiration in speaking that I’ve found in reading and
writing. No one is more surprised by this than I am. Preparing to
speak…researching, writing, and praying over the events…and then standing to
deliver the words God has led me to share brings an enormous amount of
inspiration and joy to my soul. I am usually utterly depleted after I speak,
because I have thrown my entire heart, soul, and body into sharing with my
audience. It’s fulfilling in ways I can’t explain, and it inspires me to rest
and then get up and go again for the next event.
I’ve shared before
that I find inspiration in the water. Ever since the first time I sensed an
extra-special nearness of the Holy Spirit while on a boat in the middle of a
lake, I could not get enough of the water. In my desert days I used to park my
car next to the retention ponds at IWU and pray at length. It’s why Ryan and I
wanted to get married on the beach. It’s why we leapt at the opportunity to
live on this lake. Sitting beside the water, listening to tiny waves lap the
shore, and watching the sun slide down at the end of the lake…I find
inspiration here. Everything about the water calls me to be still. Everything
calls me to halt, to wait, to listen. I think of ideas for writing and
hospitality. I am quiet and hear God’s gentle whisper in this place.
Water may be the place
I consistently hear God’s voice the most, but all of God’s beautiful
creation inspires me in deep and moving ways. As I plan the places we hope to
someday visit, I find myself drawn again and again to pure nature. We don’t
care if we don’t get to tour museums or historical sites (though we appreciate
those in their own way). We want to see the mountains, rivers, canyons, and
rock formations. We want to see the tall trees in thick forests and the sands
of the desert. I’ve told so many people that it doesn’t matter to me if we
don’t make it out of the United States. There are so many beautiful pieces of
God’s intricate creation to see right in this very land. I’m overcome when I
see the variety and inspired to worship the God who made each of the things I
behold.
Photos and
memory-making inspire me. When I sit down to work on our scrapbooks, I’m so
inspired to capture the story of the life we are living. I love taking the
pictures, editing them, and adding the words of the stories that accompany
them. The hours I spend making our albums fly so quickly, and they are so
life-giving to me.
Another of my common
inspirations is in preparing meals and opening our home for people to visit. I
still think the idea of running a B&B or a little coffee shop would be a
joy, because I’m inspired when I get to share that kind of hospitality with those
around me. I love creating an atmosphere that offers joy and rest to those
around. I am inspired by creating meal plans, making the dishes, serving them, and watching those who eat them find such joy
and comfort in the food. I love watching people rest and relax in our home.
Knowing others find it a safe and relaxing place to be brings me such joy.
And speaking of safety
and relaxation, I can’t close this list without acknowledging that I find rest
to be so inspiring. I used to buck it as a waste of time, but I love it now. I
love the days when I get to rest. Napping, going for a walk, spending time with
Ryan, doing any of the things I’ve already mentioned…these are entirely
life-giving and restorative to me. I love these days of rest and am inspired to
work hard again after I am refreshed by them.
These are the things
that inspire me most. How about you?
