I am just old enough to remember life before the internet and cell phones. I grew up playing outside, not on the computer. I wasn’t on Facebook or the owner of a cell phone until I was in college. I rarely text and am probably slower than my grandma (who is super tech savvy, by the way) when I do.
Still, technology and the hyper-connectivity of the world around me have changed the way I interact and relate to people. Like so many my age, I am more comfortable communicating by means of blogging and Facebooking than I am in face-to-face interactions. Not that I can’t have an intelligent face-to-face conversation, but I am better able to open up and speak my heart through writing than I am in talking.
Words are my world, they are my voice and the best way I know how to share my heart and person with others.
Because I am sharing my heart and who I am when I write, it means a lot to me when people read my writing; their reading communicates interest in who I am and what I have to say. On the flip side, when people show no interest in my writing, to some extent that makes me feel they aren’t interested in knowing me. Not that I expect everyone to read my blog–not everyone has the time or interest and blogging isn’t the best way to build relationships with each and every person in my life. But when someone says they want to know me better and expresses no interest in what I have to say, I think, “you say you want to know me, I have put myself out there in my writing to be known, and yet you act like what I’ve written means nothing to you–do you really want to know me better or are you just saying that?”
In the same way, I say I want to know God better; I say I want to have a better relationship with him and better know his heart–and then fail to read his words to me. This struck me quite hard the other day: I want people to know me better through my writing and feel they aren’t interested in me when they don’t read what I’ve written. God wants me to know him better and has spoken his heart to me through the written word–the Bible–and yet I fail to read his words (therefore communicating a total lack of interest in knowing him better).
I love the written word, I love the way words can be combined and moved around to say what you want just the way you want. Why, if I love words so much and put so much value into my own words being read, do I not value the words of God? I say I want to know him but my actions say otherwise. God has chosen to share himself with me in the way I love most–through words. The words of God are beautiful and powerful and have changed who I am completely. You may not believe in the Bible–in the words of God. I do. I believe in God’s words with all my heart and live my life based on this belief. I am moved to value God’s words more and make reading his words a priority in my life. If I really want to know God, then I must read what he has shared with me about himself through the written word.
How about you–how do you feel when people do or don’t read your words or listen to what you say?
Outside Air 
Beautifully put! It amazes me that so many people who call themselves Christians and a friend of God fail to see the disconnect between the time they spend with their friends (earthly) and the time they spend with God. Jesus is the best friend we have, but so often He gets the short end in our communication with Him.
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Touched, thanks. I’m a Christian, a painter and a writer, not in English tho. Every sentence you’ve written here expresses and reminds me the feeling and words in my heart. Thanks for your words and your sharing, God bless.
A song to you: http://youtu.be/TdN5GyTl8K0
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Great post! Well linked ideas and a powerful message in a beautiful written text. Thank you. And by the way, technology connects people that are thousands of miles apart. That’s a good effect because it allowed me reading your post.
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So, I just stumbled onto your blog from a link you put on donmilleris.com, and I’m really glad I did. This post really hit me – I know how personally I take it when my friends don’t take the time to read my blog (especially when I think of all the work I put into each post). How much more God must feel disappointed when I just brush off His masterpiece!
Thank you for sharing these wise words.
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I wanted to let you know that this post inspired me to talk to God, and to pause and listen too, for the first time in a long while. I don’t consider the Bible to be God’s word, like many do, but this post brought to mind that it had been a long time since I’d talked to God, and then actually shut up and listened. So, thank you.
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Thank you sooo much for sharing this as I believe you are so very special based on the words you choose and your relationship to God. You have provided me a good reminder too to honor the holy book that I refer to as well.
I love getting to know you better and totally get at what you’re saying in your blog. Thank you soo much for sharing! 😀
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Excellent post, Kari. Thank you for so eloquently writing about the struggle so many of us have.
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lovely… i don’t write to be read, but wonderful point there. thanks and blessings 🙂
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I too am hurt whenever I don’t see people commenting and letting me know that they are reading my words. So many people encouraged me to share my poetry and so many people begged me to make a Facebook page, so I did. And….. I don’t hear from them that often. That makes me scratch my head.
I follow 4 different accounts on twitter that tweet Bible verses, and I follow 1 on Facebook. That way, while I am logged in reading messages from the world, I am getting doses of God’s Word too. I also have a bread box, a little plastic box that looks like a loaf of bread, that has little tiny pieces of paper in it with verses on each side. It sets next to my hair stuff, so I see it everyday, and pick one out at least once a week.
I figure that the God that was powerful enough to make the moon and stars, is powerful enough to make a book of knowledge, and keep it together for us to read.
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Speaking and hearing is communication; writing and reading is communication. The Lord created us with a mouth, two ears, hands and eyes–we are wonderfully made to communicate with other people, and if we repent of our sin, we should be able to commune with God.
Communication is important in relationships. The people I communicate the best with usually are the people that I have something in common with. If someone loves college football and someone else hates college football, it may be difficult for them to communicate with each other.
If I have a great hunger for the things of God, I should be able to communicate with someone who also is hungry for God. The people that I have met in my life who said they were Christians, but in fact were not–it was very hard for me to communicate with them.
Why do people write? Novels, short stories, poetry, music compositions, magazine and newspaper articles, blogs: they are trying to get some message across to others. Through my blog, I am trying to feed the sheep and I do write about my hitchhiking travels and anything else that interests me.
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Hi Kari 🙂
Thanks for sharing your heart on this post and for sharing your beautiful way of weaving thoughts into words! I feel the same way – about words and God…love them both! I have been thinking so much lately about how Jesus is the Word made flesh. THAT blows my mind! I want to know Him. I want God’s word to live and dwell in me. I want to read God’s word so much (and have it written on my heart by the Holy Spirit) that everything I think, say and do flows out of that!! I find that the more I read His word, the more I want to read it. It really is SO alive! Every day, God speaks to me. Who am I that He does that?! But, He does. He loves us so much!! He loves YOU so much! He is delighted with you. I know He reads every word you write, listens to everything you say, even listens to your unspoken thoughts…Isn’t that the most amazing, wonderful thing ever?! Sorry, I’ve gone on and on…when you mix my love of words with my love of God, it’s a dangerous combination 😉
May the Lord richly bless your heart to seek and know Him better!
Love in Him,
Natalie
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Beautifully written blog. I’m afraid Kari you suffer what the rest of suffer…..being human. I believe most of us have the best of intentions and we often times must start over and over again. Strive to do your best and see what happens. Some days it will be 120% other days 40%.
Sue Bock
http://bestlifeafterbreastcancer.com
http://couragetoadventure.com
http://couargetoadventurecoaching.wordpress.com
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Hello Kari, wonderful post, reading God’s word seems to be a struggle for most of us… and, like you so aptly described why would we expect to be known through our words and yet fail to want to follow through on knowing God? I am in a time where introspection is a close friend right now. Thank you for sharing your own introspection it helps you and it helps others see things from a new perspective.
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Lovely post- and it takes courage to put written words out there. When we meet people in person, it is unlikely they will remember verbatim everything we say, and they hear it while processing 5 other things (or more!) in their minds. When we read, typically that is all we are doing at that moment, and so we can often connect more deeply. Personally, I don’t read the Bible much either, but it’s because I feel His words have been heavily edited by historical forces- and so for our relationship, I have to meet for coffee and listen for the message. 🙂 Keep writing- your words are beautiful.
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wow.. so true… words are probably the best way of knowing someone…
really liked this post of yours
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Great analogy 🙂
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I try and not take it personal and the really hard part is when someone is just not listening to what you are saying – pees me off just a bit. I also try to write for myself and that helps at times too. Thanks for sharing & Happy Monday!
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What a parallel, now you’ve got me thinking! Thank you for that reminder!
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Wow! You’ve expressed my thoughts exactly. I could have written this post myself except that I probably wouldn’t have said it as well as you did! And I agree with everyone who has commented so far, especially dearanonymousfriend! Well said, everyone!
Have you ever tried reading a chronological Bible? I have an NIV version that I love. It takes everything that’s in the Bible & simply rearranges it in the order that it actually happened. In cases like the four gospels where stories are repeated it integrates them into one telling. It’s not much good for Bible study because it’s really hard to find what you’re looking for but as a reading Bible, I love it! The first time I read it cover to cover, the Old Testament really came alive for me.
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This is such a beautiful telling of how He calls us into His word, to know Him, to experience life with Him, and to find out so very much out about Him. His word is beautiful and you spoke that so masterfully.
Love your blog
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Thank you for this post Kari. It touched my heart in many ways. There are so many books in the bible to read. Every time I finish reading I see the wonder and goodness of our God. He alone makes our life wothwhile.
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I totally see myself in this! I kind of always thought I was just weird because it was so much easier for me to really open up through the written word, not face-to-face interactions (but I’m not completely socially awkward in person). I love when people see what I write, and seeing the numbers go up on the stats page makes me feel like people are interested in me and in what I say and think! I love reading the word of God, the more I read it the more beautiful his words seem to me! But sometimes it’s easy to put him off more and more!
Awesome post! 🙂
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I started writing my blog because I wanted to express myself through words also. To somehow leave a legacy of who I am and what I believe. This post expresses all that is in my heart. It is like you opened up my brain and took my jumbled thoughts and made sense of them. Thank you. Maybe I should just have you ghost write my blog!!
This I do know, though, that our God is a faithful and loving God. He is faithful when we aren’t. He loves and adores us even when we are unlovable. That is a lesson in itself in parenting. He loves us.
As I sat reading your post it was like I could feel such a love of our Lord in your words. He is the One who has given you your love of words, His words included. I truly think He is going to use you to touch other lives with what you write about Him. Thank you for being obedient to write what your heart is feeling. I look forward to reading your posts and was thrilled to see a new one today.
have a blessed week this week as we celebrate our risen Lord.
DAF
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Wow, thank you so much for such kind, encouraging words–that really lifted me up…thank you
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Beautiful post. Very insightful thoughts on how we are changing as a society in our abilites to interact with others even for those of us who did not grow up with all this technology.
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Powerful thoughts here Kari. As Christians we are always full of excuses about why we don’t have time for God, time for reading his message to us through His Word, time to speak with Him through prayer, and then we feel so hurt when our day doesn’t go as we planned.
Words are powerful, they can build us up, or completely destroy us. That old saying “sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me,” doesn’t have any truth to it at all. Words do hurt, and unfortunately we use them to cause harm much more often than we do to create good. And God does have much to say about how we are to use our tongue, our words….we just need to read and listen.
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Exatly. Oh, and mom, I love you :] Thanks for reading my blog like a trooper 8]
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Great post. I too find great value and encouragement in seeing the stats ticker grow after a post. The results of a personality quiz I took recently showed one of the places I find the most intrinsic value is in being inspirational; that is, knowing I am affecting someone else’s life in a positive way. How do I know when I’m accomplishing this? Feedback.
You make an excellent point about reading the Word. As an artist, I get my creative release through conceiving and completing my artwork. The creation process is an act of prayer where I find the closest communication with God. My blog documents these prayers. I have, however, let my reading habits fall to the wayside as of late. Thank you for reminding me of the importance to connect with God the way he has reached out to me the same way he responds when i reach out to him!
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Art really does bring us close to God, doesn’t it? God himself is an artist after all, painting the world with beauty. Thanks for reading and commenting!
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I, too, am an artist—mainly photography. I pray, “What next, Lord? How can I top that last post?” He is ever faithful and I begin to sense His Hand through me. When I see a great shot it’s like I hear His voice saying “Look what I created. Capture it. Share it. Share Me. ” Even when the stats are low, I look at my blog and it makes me smile. It holds the a memory of my walk with Him—and a legacy for my family.
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