Scatter Far and Wide; Some Will Take Root

The visit with the Bakers was wonderful! A special moment for me was when the daughter ("a face without freckles is like the sky without stars"--that one!) shared with me the list of my blogs she had personally saved to a file over the past four years. She's a rising 9th grader now, and she's been a faithful blog reader all these years. She read on my blog that I wanted to compile my favorite blogs for a little devotional book, and she figured her list might be of interest to me as I build my chapters.

I was so touched! I was so honored! I didn't realize she not only read them but saved them. All this time, when I think I'm doing no good in the world because publisher after publisher rejects my manuscripts because I'm not famous enough, I have before me an amazing young woman who reads my writing and gains courage and hope from it. I didn't know! I will keep writing for you forever and ever and ever!

So she pulls out her handwritten list of her favorite 25 blogs by title, and I smile for so many reasons. I smile because she chose some blogs that I thought resonated with no one. I smile because she put little stars by her favorite blogs within the list.

What did I notice? I noticed she loved blogs about courage, strength, hope, and risk taking. She loved blogs about family and authentic living and Jesus. Teenage girls want these things in their deep, intelligent hearts!

I also noticed that there was simply no way I could have predicted which insights mattered to her and for what reasons. I wrote what I felt like writing, and God did all the rest. I scattered my writing far and wide, and some of it took root in her heart.

I was amazed and thankful.

She doesn't mind my sharing, so I thought I'd show you her list. Maybe some of these, by God's grace, will take root in your heart, too.

Run the Mile You're In
If You Have a Child Who Talks too Much
Am I Fond of Them?
We Can Pray, Can't We Mom?
But It's Impossible
Because You need To
God's Love Would Be Enough for Me
Afraid of What They Think
Supremely Uncool Behavior
I Still Use the Chalkboard
The Right Path
No Matter What Happens
I Didn't Believe It
All the Ways to Laugh Together
Because I'm So Loved
*Of Courage and Second Chances 
My Favorite Back to School Bible Verse
See What Happens
*The Thing You Need Strength For
The Greatest Ending Ever
*On This Bench
*You Won't Miss It
*Give Them Time to Unload
*It's Sort of Awkward
*Playing it Too Safe

I pray today it is a great encouragement to you as you scatter your gifts far and wide. Some will take root, and maybe you'll see the fruit of it. You might not, but just know that somewhere, someone is saving your words and putting little stars by them because of what they meant to her.