I’m delighted to be starting a series of guest posts here on auntyamo.com 😉
After writing the ‘Letter to my 15 year old self’, I found there’s a whole website devoted to writing letters to our younger selves. So I thought maybe some others might be up for an opportunity to do the same.
Over the next 3 to 4 weeks some friends and family will be sharing their letters here. Starting tomorrow with a birthday girl.
I hope you enjoy the series – and there’s room for a couple more on the schedule if you’re interested. Drop me an email. amowriting at gmail dot com
I’m looking forward to reading them all. If you haven’t read mine and you’d like to, click here.
I love making new writing connections and I’m particulalry delighted with my newest 😀
Earlier this week I had the pleasure of being a guest on the blog of Canadian author Erin Hatton.
Today she’s returning the favour.
Now I know there’s plenty of you lovely folk who read this blog but you’re sometimes a bit shy with your ‘comments’ – please show some love for Erin eh?
And so without further ado…
What were you made for?
by Erin Hatton
Recently my sister-in-law and I were talking about our love of music. You see, we both sing and play piano at our churches – albeit with stellar musicians – but we both love classical music and miss playing in a more … shall we say “high brow” environment.
She expressed a concern that wanting to play classical music purely for her own enjoyment was selfish – that she should be using her energy to play in a church environment.
That didn’t sit right with me. It brought to mind all the preconceived notions we have about ministry. Whether we’re aware of it or not, we tend to think of certain activities as more spiritual than others. Giving your life to full-time ministry is somehow better than working at a garage. Singing in church is more important than singing in the shower.
Not to devalue those who devote their lives to ministry. We need that. But if all anyone ever did was ministry, what would happen to the church?
Look at the metaphor of the Body of Christ: “God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. If they were all one part, where would the body be?” (I Cor. 12:18-19 NIV)
you’re free to be who you were meant to be
One of the beautiful things about the Church is its diversity. We are called to minister in many ways. We are called to worship in many ways. There’s a need for the stay-at-home mom chatting with neighbourhood parents at the park just as much as the pastor preaching from the pulpit on Sunday morning. God loves hearing us sing Handel just as much as Hillsong. The point is where our heart is at. Are we following Him wholeheartedly? Are we thanking him for the beautiful things he made for us to enjoy? Are we living the way he made us to live,
or are we trying to fit into the wrong mould because we think it’s more spiritual?
So I encourage you to really evaluate, as I am doing, what it is that you were made for. And don’t spend a single moment more on someone else’s job.
Erin E. M. Hatton is a Christian fiction writer from Ontario, Canada with several short stories and one novel in print. Her book Otherworld was shortlisted for the top award in Canadian Christian fiction in 2012. Erin lives with her husband Kevin and four young children.
Just another Christian woman... 