Why Everyone Can and Should Write by Rebecca J. Gomez

Pain. It's a part of everyone's life to some degree. Physical, emotional, spiritual. How do we handle pain when it comes our way?

No matter how trivial your pain or troubles may seem, it is never a good idea to bottle those feelings up. If you hold them in, they will eventually force their way out, like the whistle on a teapot filled with boiling water. You need to vent, let off steam, in a healthy and constructive way.

King David had the right idea. If you've spent much time reading the book of Psalms, you know what I'm talking about. David poured his heart out in his writings. Through the Psalms he expressed joy and sorrow, love for his God and contempt for his enemies, and feelings of desperation and hope. "O Lord, how many are my foes! How many rise up against me! Many are saying of me, `God will not deliver him.' But you are a shield around me, O Lord; you bestow glory on me and lift up my head." Psalm 3:1-3 (NIV)

When you write, you can pour all your emotions out whether they are good or bad, just like King David did. I have done this for as long as I can remember; it was mostly through poetry for a long time. As a teen I often wrote love poems to God. I wrote about break-ups with boyfriends, and personal struggles. I continue to pour my heart out through poetry and essays as an adult. When I had a miscarriage a couple of years ago, I wrote about that pain; it helped more than anything else did, besides prayer.

Writing can have a calming effect. I find that when I write when I am upset, pouring those feelings out onto the paper relaxes me; it helps me to release some of the negative feelings I have, and get control over my emotions. Though the feelings will still be there, they are less of a burden to me. Also, I will be less likely to take my frustrations out on the people I love.

You don't have to wait until life gets rough to reap the benefits of writing. You can write about the joys in your life, your love, your hopes and dreams. And when you hit those rough spots, write about them too.

So, you aren't a great writer? That doesn't matter a bit. Nobody has to see what you write except you and God.

Don't know how to get started? First of all, you need a decent journal. Spiral notebooks are cheap, but they will fall apart quickly. You can buy a nice, hard cover journal, but one of those black composition books will work just as well. If you are not sure what to write, try starting by writing diary entries or prayers. Don't be shy. God knows your thoughts before they become words, written or spoken, so just let go.

Make writing a habit. Start by writing something--anything--in your journal before you go to bed at night, or at a time that works for you. You don't have to do it every day, but do it regularly--at least a couple of times a week. It might seem like a chore at first, if you aren't used to writing, but keep it up and it will become almost like second nature.

Once you are comfortable with writing in your journal, be careful or you may want to branch out into other forms of writing. You might want to try keeping a devotional journal, to write down what you have been learning through your Bible reading. Or you might want to try poetry, essays, or (gasp!) even SHORT STORIES.

But even if you don't become a poet or essayist, any type of writing can be a reward in itself. Try it for a couple of weeks. You'll see.