MY LIFE EXPERIENCES AS A CHRISTIAN WRITER
When I was young, I studied the Bible no more than I had to in Sunday School, church camp and youth group. But when I got older and was on my knees in prayer asking for God to fix my marriage, the answer that came to my mind was "Study to show thyself approved unto God a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." I knew that answer didn't come from me. I didn't remember ever memorizing that verse. It is from II Timothy 2:15 (KJV). God truly does speak to us through His word. But I wasn't happy with that answer at all. I did what Moses did when God wanted him to ask Pharoah to let His people go. I argued with Him. My first thought was "What kind of answer is that and what does it have to do with my marriage?" Silence. I was so disappointed. I wanted an answer to my problem that made sense and I wanted it now.
But I started reading the Bible faithfully. I even read a set of children's Bible encyclopedias so I could learn the succession of people and events told in a simpler way than the King James Bible. I became familiar with the begats and was glued to the stories of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Samson, Elijah, Jezebel and so on. Noah and Jonah and a few others were already familiar to me but I still looked for details I missed.
My circumstances.were unchanged. Nevertheless, I kept reading the Bible. I even created a timeline game from Adam and Eve to heaven. I found some spaceship toys that fit right on the 3x5, pink-colored sheets on which I typed every major story of the Old Testament. and part of the New Testament. I attached the game to the wood-paneled walls of my classroom at church in a zig-zag pattern. It went completely around the room. The kids got points for coming to church, reading their Bibles, learning a verse, attending class, bringing a friend, etc. If they had a certain amount of points, they got a prize. They moved their spaceship from its present story ahead according to the number of points they got. It was a giant project but I loved it. I named each spaceship. I remember one was "Rocket of Ages." Even after all the study it took to create that project, I still got only silence from God regarding my marriage.
Eventually my marriage didn't make it. I didn't have a college education so I talked to the admission counselor at the local junior college. Her response was that I already knew whatever they could teach me at their college and that what I needed to do was go to the city. I thought to myself, I am not a city girl. But then the idea came to me that I could go to St. Louis Christian College. I could live and heal there, get a general studies education, and study more about the Bible. While there I had six articles published in a national Christian magazine. I became the girls' Dorm Mom after I had been there six months. I printed up a newsletter for the girls each month and called it "The Wall Paper," Wall being my last name. I included an article I wrote in each one.
And, wow, did I ever have to study the Bible. I have to admit I enjoyed it more when it was voluntary and not assigned. I got an A.A. Degree with a 3.85 grade point average. I had to drop to part-time partway through my studies because I needed to help take care of my mother who had Alzheimer's.
Looking back, while I was separated from my husband I knew I had to find an outlet for my emotions and a way to keep from being lonely, so I began writing poetry. I took each of the Old Testament Bible Stories I had written and put them to rhyme, keeping them as close to actual scripture as I could. I have them compiled in a spiral notebook and hope to get it published someday. I also wrote Christian life poetry and compiled them in a little booklet I called "The Color of Love." Since then I discovered blogs on the computer. I created one for myself called "Contemplations" and have 250 writings and have had over 20,000 views from all over the world (now up to 37,000+).
Did my prayer save my marriage? No, but God brought good out of it. I might otherwise not have accomplished all of the writing I have done that has been spread not only across the nation but across the world. Following is a sample of readers within 24 hours:
--Becky Wall
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