The Write Stuff

I was sitting at my desk, just having finished up my daily reading/studying/devotional session. I closed my books and returned them to the shelf, and then I grabbed a pen and tossed it into the cup I use as a pen holder.  I reached for a highlighter and did likewise, and then noticed yet a third pen and reached for it. When I did so, I realized that that  pen, just as the other two, had the name “Bic” imprinted on the side.  As I placed it in the cup, I fingered through the dozen or so pens there, and noticed that each and every one was made by Bic.

I sat back as stared at the cup, thinking how much it reminded me of us. There in that cup, was gathered a diverse group of instruments, all of various shapes, sizes and colors, and each made by the same manufacturer.  Each pen has a specific purpose; a purpose which the manufacturer knew before he designed the pen.  And knowing that purpose, he gave each pen exactly what it needed to carry out that intended purpose.

For instance, one has a felt tip that is beveled, and leaves a trail of bright neon color as it highlights text. Another also has a felt tip, but it is chiseled to a fine point, which enables us to write legibly.  And yet another is a ball point pen with a comfort grip; it allows for writing a long letter, or sitting and journaling with ease.

None of these pens would be successful if it tried to do the job that another was intended to do.  You cannot highlight with a sharpie and you cannot journal with a highlighter.  Each pen has its own specific purpose.

On the outside, they all look like pens.  Despite the different size and shapes, when you look at it, you know it’s a pen; it is what is on the inside that sets it apart. The outside is just an empty shell. The manufacturer knew exactly what task this pen was created for, and placed inside it all the components necessary to carry out that task.

But even when there is an intact, outer shell and all the internal components needed, on its own, the pen can do nothing.  Its full potential will lie dormant, until it is lifted up, and placed into the hand of one who knows exactly what it was created for.

And when that happens, when the pen lends itself to one who knows its purpose, it becomes powerful.  The pen has the ability to create a signature that will legally bind million dollar contracts.  It can put words on a page that can be used in a speech to impact the world.  It can write an encouraging note to a friend, and it can say, “I love you” to a child on his lunch bag.

But the power is not in the pen itself; it is in the ink that flows through the pen.  Each pen is created with a reservoir that is full, and as the pen is used for the purpose in which it was created, the ink begins to flow freely though the pen, to leave a mark on the page.  The more frequently the pen is used for its purpose, the more ink is poured out.  So much so, that the reservoir can become depleted.  Luckily, the manufacturer makes an endless supply of refills; we need only grab one from the shelf, pop it in, and the pen is as good as new.

It is amazing how alike we are—the common, ordinary, everyday pen and ourselves.  We too, are an empty shell, designed with everything in us that we need to fulfill our intended purpose.  And like the pen, our potential will also lie dormant until we allow ourselves to be placed into the hand of the One who created us. Only then will the Holy Spirit begin to flow through us, so that we too can leave a mark on the lives of those around us.

The mark made by a pen will often last only until the paper it was written upon is destroyed. But the mark made by the Holy Spirit through you will last for eternity.

When he finished speaking with him on Mount Sinai, he gave Moses two tablets of Testimony, slabs of stone, written with the finger of God—Ex 31:18

God has placed inside of you everything you need to enhance the lives of those around you. Make yourself available to him, and he will leave a mark for eternity.  Give it a try. You’ve got all the write stuff.