How To Spread

2 Corinthians 5:17 - "Therefore, if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new."

One major flaw in my creative writings before my mission is they had no goal, no end purpose in mind. I didn't write to expound or illustrate truth, fact, or opinion; I wrote merely to entertain, nothing more. It was while I was on my mission that I recognized I was squandering a large potential for my talent. Why not use these stories and worlds that swirl around in my head to help teach or expound upon a matter of truth? Why not use my talent to build someone's faith and trust in God or some of His teachings?

Even in writing my novel, which is about anthropomorphic rabbits casting magic and performing rituals, I am trying to illustrate two noble truths concerning the way of things. This will be the first book I ever write with such a focus on making a point, even two. First, I desire to show how change and repentance is never impossible for anyone. Second, I desire to show the flawed mentality behind the ever-prevalent theory of neutral morality.

Hefty tasks, to be sure, but as I wrote one of the most important scenes in presenting the second truth yesterday, I felt proud. Proud and even convinced that what I'd written could help someone see what I was trying to explain, even using the most unlikely mouth of a rabbit. My writing, at that point, stopped being just telling a story. It was becoming a way to help.

I smiled a lot today, thinking about the minor successes I was having in cultivating this talent for good. As I spent time with my new-found friends at the end of the day, enjoying a rousing game of Quelf, I kept thinking back to the secret I'd stumbled upon, what I'd been missing. I wasn't worried about my dreams. I wasn't frustrated by my imperfections. I saw what I needed to improve, allowed myself to prepare for that improvement, and relaxed, fully enjoying myself. And it was enough.