For the love of…writing!

by Melissa Meyers

Colossians 3:23-Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters.

My daughter Emily is a junior in high school, and she is trying to answer that huge question…God what do you want me to do with my life? I remember sometime, a very long time ago, praying and working through that. As an adult, far from those days, I now know God takes us on many different paths, and many of them are unexpected.

One of the greatest joys of my life was in 2013, when I felt nudged to pursue writing. It was an idea that lingered and grew. I had been an avid reader my entire life. In first grade, I remember telling my mother, “I want to collect books.” I grew up across the street from our town’s public library, so books and stories were so accessible to me. It wasn’t until I was in my mid-30s that I began not just to read but write. Surprisingly, I began to have small articles published. At that time, most of what I wrote centered on my overseas experiences working in Afghanistan.

Unexpectedly, we came home in 2014, and then I spent several years processing my husband John’s and my time in Afghanistan. Writing became therapeutic and healing. Beneath the Ancient Dust: Inspirational Stories from nine years in Afghanistan, which consists of short chapters, that read like devotionals, resulted from those writing sessions. Many people in the church have read it and enjoyed it. The cover just got a refresh.

More opportunities came and I wrote for Rochester Mom’s Blog and our county’s local newspaper, The News-Record. I felt like I was serving and helping others build community with those opportunities. Throughout this journey, I sought to learn more about writing and how to become a more effective communicator. I found myself saying, “Words matter” and my motto became, “crafting stories of beauty and hope.”

Then, I began to take creative writing classes and started exploring writing fiction. I was encouraged when someone pointed out that Jesus used fiction all the time to reach his audience. What? Yes. Jesus used parables to illustrate God’s truths to his disciples, the crowds, and religious leaders. A parable is a short fictitious story that illustrates a moral attitude or a religious principle. Reading fiction also helps us build empathy.

Through my writing, I have always wanted people to discover and find hope. In November, I published a women’s fiction book, The Snow Trillium, which weaves the story of three women together who each encounter grief. Besides pursuing writing these past years, I have been a NICU nurse, and this story became the background for experiences I had working with babies. It is entirely a fictional piece of work. As a nurse, I am not allowed to write about my true experiences for patient confidentiality.

The book sensitively explores the difficult topic of premature labor and babies who enter and exit the world too soon. I find most women reluctant to talk about this topic and share their experiences. Many women carry deep pain due to never speaking about their miscarriage or loss.

It also explores a labor and delivery nurse’s uncertainty in adapting to her new “dream” job. Since the book was published, I have received feedback from nurses who also felt insecure, and they were encouraged to read about Danielle’s journey as a new nurse.

The Snow Trillium has intentionally been written for a broad audience to begin a conversation about hope. If you are interested in reading it, you can follow the highlighted link above or request the book through the SELCO lending library. There are several libraries in Minnesota carrying it.

Writing may not be what God is prompting you to do, but if you have a nudge in your spirit or an idea that lingers and grows, I would encourage you to pray. God may be leading you.

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Melissa Meyers is co-editor of The Stir, wife to John, and mother to Malcolm (19) and Emily (16). She is a Neonatal Nurse and Creative Writer. She is the author of, Beneath the Ancient Dust: Inspirational Stories from Nine Years in Afghanistan. Her hobbies are coffee, reading, and taking long walks. She will accept an invitation for coffee anytime and loves to hear how God is working in your life.