A Writer’s Stones of Remembrance

 

By Marilyn Nutter

In Joshua chapter 4, after the Israelites had crossed the Jordan River and set up camp, God commanded them to set up stones. The purpose was to be able to tell their children, when they asked, what the stones meant: reminders of God’s power and how He led them.

There’s a lesson there for writers too. It’s easy to become discouraged when we feel as if  our writing is going nowhere, when we meet with a rejection from a publisher, or our appointment at a writers conference with an editor or agent didn’t go as we planned. We walk away from a conference and feel we got nothing from it because we didn’t come away with a contract or a request to see our work.

Perhaps we should have a stone of remembrance in our writing space next to our computer.  This reminder may encourage us to see God‘s faithfulness rather than dwell on obstacles or disappointments.

Take time today and remember:

·       When and how God called you to write.

·       The successes you’ve had—not in a contract but when a reader posted a comment and said your post was exactly what she or he needed.

·       To read a piece you wrote five years ago and see how you’ve grown as a writer.  

·       Five things you’ve learned about writing in the past year.

·       The opportunity God gave you at a conference to pray with a nervous writer heading into an appointment.

·       The worship at a conference that drew you closer to God.

·       They day the Holy Spirit took charge of your keyboard and you wrote a full chapter.

Stones of remembrance not only serve as symbols of God’s faithfulness to us, but our response to stay the course and be faithful to Him, being thankful for the opportunities to grow in the craft, grow in greater dependence on His leading and presence, and to be thankful for opportunities He has given.

Stones of remembrance: God’s faithfulness and mine.

Photo by Peter Blake on Unsplash

Marilyn Nutter is the author of Hope for Widows: Reflections on Mourning, Living, and Change and co-author with April White of the award winning book, Destination Hope: A Travel Companion When Life Falls Apart.  Her devotional Mourning Glories: 40 Devotions on Grief, Faith, and New Seasons for Widows will be released in June 2026. She is a frequent contributor to online sites and compilations. Visit her at http:/MarilynNutter.com.