Outdated

When you read these words, they will already be outdated. Time will have passed between them and me. I might not agree with all of them anymore.

Thinking about this, sometimes, I wonder why I bother to write. My opinions will change, I will grow and mature. Perhaps I should wait until I am ready to commit to a set of words forever. The only problem with this, I know, is that that day will never come.

I can allow fear to paralyze what I write, knowing that I may look back: in a day, a month, longer, and wonder just what it was that I was thinking. This is the same reason that I sometimes hesitate in other areas of life, as well. I don't want to make mistakes, or apologize, or do things wrong. In short, I don't always embrace my humanity.

I have had many conversations in which I said things that I no longer agree with. Many of those conversations are with people I still know, who know that my thoughts have changed and like me anyway (sometimes, this makes them like me better). When I say something out loud, it forces me to think about it. I examine, in the light, what I think and feel and present it before someone else. So it is with writing.

When I write, I have to think about what I'm saying, what I believe and what I know to be true. It is when I am thinking something through that God often brings greater clarity to my thoughts. Sometimes, I'll get to the end of a piece that I'm writing and realize that I have changed and grown as a result of writing it. Could it be that the conversation and the interaction, with myself, God and others is just as important as the words, and the point?

I have long believed in the power of community. It is good to have people around who can see things that I can't and remind me of things that I have forgotten. For example: I was talking about the very subject of this post with a friend. The conversation grew animated as we discussed the ramifications for writing and life: keep living, keep writing, don't worry about getting it perfect, embrace the process.

As we neared the end of the conversation, he turned to me and said: "You should write about this."

I had not even considered it.