Gentle Reader,
Ten years.
A decade.
Three books. An entry in an anthology. Appearances on other sites. Hours wrestling with shortcode. Discovering that I like wrestling with shortcode and other aspects of web design. Over 700 posts. (Somewhere around 800 if you count the ones I’ve purged).
You’d think that I would have run out of things to say by now.
I’ve crossed the line into being an “old timer” within the blogging community. I remember the days when Facebook notes were the thing and I had a LiveJournal account at one point. Before that was the glory and grandeur of MySpace. (Remember Tom)? If there was a free, online platform for me to try, I tried it. Blogger, Google+, TypePad…
If I were doing this the “right” way, I’d give you a list of things I’ve learned and tell you how to build a “successful” blog. I would wax poetic about how wonderful it is to be a writer. But I listicles aren’t really my thing and the most important lesson I can share with you is to never write when you’re angry. While it is wonderful to be a writer, it’s also difficult. It really cutting veins open and splashing blood on the page. Even the most detached, clinical of us knows the struggle and vulnerability inherent in hitting “publish.”
Honestly, I’m at a loss as to how to mark this anniversary. A lot of life has happened. I’m not who I was when I began this practice of putting my words out there for any and all to consume. I had hopes of gaining influence back then. Maybe a little money. Now the number of subscribers I have scares me; it’s a great privilege and responsibility. I can’t be flippant about speaking into anyone’s life. My bank account has seen very little action, which, let’s be real, is discouraging. It’s hard when nobody seems to want your stuff. But that just means the value of my books will go up after I die, right? Starving artist and all that?
Guess my twisted sense of humor remains the same.
Admittedly, I wonder if anything I write truly matters. Do I make a difference? Has anyone come to know and love the Lord even a little bit better because of something they’ve read here?
Maybe I won’t know until Heaven.
Maybe it’s not even about that. Maybe it’s only and always about simply being faithful to share the Gospel the best way I know how. The rest is between the internet surfer and God.
So, I continue on along the way. Certainly older, perhaps a little wiser, definitely with more grey hair. Oh, and scars. A lot more scars. Literally and figuratively.
Thank you, dear reader, for journeying with me. It is my honor to walk this road with you. I wish I could sit across a table from you, see your face and hear your story, while we indulge in some fried chicken and chocolate ice cream. (I’m a medically-mandated clean eater. That meal sounds fabulous to me right now). Until such time when our meeting is possible, I will continue to imagine you on the other side of the screen. I will continue to pray that you come to know and rest in the limitless love of the Savior who gave His all for you. May you be encouraged and equipped to live faithfully in this crazy world.
Onward.
