Hello dear friends, here it is May, and I sit at my computer with so many thoughts that I want to share with you. Where do I start? How about at the beginning? Specifically, awareness of God’s incredible love for all of us, and the opportunities we are given to share that love with others.
As I look for opportunities to share what I have written in my books, I must look no further than the beginning of my writing. Poetry was not my preferred genre until I was given a special book by a very special friend. The book’s title was Somebody Loves You by Helen Steiner Rice. Helen’s work “spoke” to me. The love of God just flowed from the pages. As I read, I hungered for more of those beautiful rhyming words that glorified God, revealed more of His character, and lead me to a deeper understanding of who I am in Him. The power of words is truly all that God says it is!
So, I started collecting every book I could find of Helen’s work.
Some of you know the story… My desire was to bless my youngest sister (the prodigal child in our family) with a poem for her birthday. One written specifically by Helen Steiner Rice.
I used everything I could think of to find the perfect poem to give my sister. I read that Helen had a sister also, so, I thought out of the countless poems she had written that she must have one that would “speak” to my sister. I spent hours scouring every book I had collected. After finding nothing that remotely fit the need, I moved on to the internet. We all know that you can find anything you need on the Internet. Just ask Google! Lol! Well, this time Google let me down. It served a good purpose though; more about that soon.
I continued my search but on other internet sites. I questioned different ones at various bookstores. Each time I came up empty-handed. I was beginning to think that Helen had never written a poem for her sister, or maybe if she did, she had not published it. So, I gave up! I even made the announcement to my husband that I gave up! His response was “You will just have to write one for her.” You need to know at that time we had been married 45 years and my husband certainly knew I was no poet! I laughed at his remark because I knew he was not serious.
So, now I move on to the “serving a good purpose” remark. Early the next morning, the words to a poem started coming into my thoughts. I got up and started quickly writing them down as the words were coming quickly. As I wrote, at once I was aware that this was my sister’s story starting at the beginning. And the realization that it rhymed made it clear that the Lord was giving me the answer to my desire for my sister. In less than an hour I had 90% of my first poem. It was lengthy and written while I was fixing breakfast for my husband and me. You know that multitasking thing some of us get caught up in?
Now this should explain the good purpose of my not finding Helen’s poem for her sister. Years later I found the one she had written for her sister, Gertrude. The Lord confirmed to me that He knows our hearts’ desires and He knows how to fill them with more than we could ask for. He gave me a custom-designed message to my sister “Expressions of His Endearing Love.” It is my first poem in my first book Inspire Me. The beginning of my writing.
So now, seven years later, with a total of eighty poems, and my second book published, I am writing to you. The question was, “Where do I start?” My answer is, “In the beginning of an awareness of God’s incredible love for all of us, and the opportunities we are given to share that love with others.”
I fully believe this is the purpose of our Lord giving me the opportunities I have been given as a poet, writer, and now, a blogger.
This is a quote from the introduction to my first book. “I truly hope that as you read these poems you will be uplifted and encouraged. Most importantly, though, my desire is that you will be inspired to know God and know Him more deeply.”
He started at the beginning of Genesis and continues to the end in Revelation. His love letters to us express this and so much more. Words are truly powerful!
I will end by quoting the last paragraph in the narrative for my last poem “About Christmas” in my newly released book, Blue Skies, Butterflies, & Battlegrounds…
“Thank you, Lord, for “turning my world around and the love that came on Christmas, I will wear as a crown.” And I will get to lay my crown at Your feet as a tribute to the One who created me, forgave me, saved me, gifted me, equipped me, and lived in me! As I celebrate the One that Christmas is all about throughout eternity! The One I live for and get to tell others about! Amen!”
Thank you for reading what comes from my heart. I hope you will be led to take a look at my Book Page if you haven’t already. I do eagerly look forward to your comments and would love for you to connect with me on my Connect Page. It would be wonderful to hear from you.
God’s blessings to you,
Reba
Reba Bailes-Faith Filled Inspiration 