Honed Skills by Kim Robinson

Honed Skills

by Kim Robinson

 

“All these were descendants of Obed-Edom; they and their sons and their relatives were capable men with the strength to do the work-descendants of Obed-Edom, sixty-two in all”

(1 Chronicles 26: 8, NIV).

                                

 

Sometimes the Lord surprises us with the direction he moves our writing skills. While I taught English in Alaska, I learned the Ukrainian art of pysanky. Layers of waxed symbolic designs and intense dyes transform blown-out eggs into masterpieces.

I wanted my students to feel seen and loved, but my written or spoken words did not soak into the soil of their hearts. So, I made a personal blessing egg for each one, using Ukrainian symbols to communicate what I cherished in them. The gifts touched their hearts and I discovered a new way for me to write a message.

Another surprising opportunity for my craft growth came from rigorous training in writing standards and objectives for teaching accreditation. Every school where I taught underwent the process of renewing or creating the necessary paperwork. Through this time of balancing the demands of teaching and training, God honed my writing skills. Years later, I served in missions on the Mercy Ships Academy team and assisted them in completing their first accreditation using the expertise I had gained.

Sometimes our labors seem unrelated to our craft. We writers face expectations to diversify by blogging, speaking, offering online courses, building social media platforms, or maintaining podcasts. These tasks often feel like byways that divert us from our flow of writing.

We can choose to live out our calling by cultivating our skills at every opportunity, just as our faith heroes in scripture demonstrated. In 1 Chronicles 26, King David assigned Levitical families various temple tasks. Those he appointed as “capable men” (1 Chronicles 26:8 NIV) had spent years strengthening their abilities.

God ignites stories in us. He has a plan to connect each of us with specific audiences through honed skills. Through the grinding labors and byways of the craft journey, we strengthen our abilities so we can bless our readers. How delightful to have our Lord appoint us as very capable people with the strength to do his work.

 Lord, help me to recognize and develop the skills you are seeking to build in me as your blessing to others. Amen.

 

God is moving, and He wants us to notice. That is author Kim Robinson’s passion, whether for agnostic or believing readers, middle schoolers, or octogenarians. A retired teacher, Kim currently lives in Oregon, where she is delighted to serve the Lord as a writer, copy editor, and encourager of faith.