Watchful Wednesdays – Special Guest Robin Livingston
Today we have the pleasure to welcome Robin Livingston. I asked her to write about how her faith and her writing work together.
Where Writing and Faith Intersect
A number of years ago I was helping to plan an event where tea was going to be served to a large number of women. Now, I am excellent at following instructions but planning is not my forte. At the time I didn’t even drink tea. I was finding the logistics of the whole thing a bit mind boggling. When I suggested that, just to simplify things, we could use the big coffee percolator to make the tea there was a shocked silence around the table.
One of the ladies delicately cleared her throat. “You can’t make tea in a coffee percolator,” she said.
“Why not?” I asked in some confusion.
“Well, because it will end up tasting like coffee.”
Who knew? Apparently, everyone but me.
I still smile when I think of that experience and it was the first thing that came to mind when Jan asked me to share how my faith intersects with my writing. I suppose it might seem a bit odd that I would compare my faith to coffee but it makes a weird kind of sense to me.
You see, my faith has become so much a part of who I am that it affects the flavour of everything I do. The creativity that God gifts us with expresses itself in many ways but whether it is painting pictures, putting a quilt together, making music or telling stories, we all put a bit of ourselves into the things we create. Even when I am not writing about God, His influence in my life shines through the words I put on paper.
When I wrote the book Elijah’s Boy I was painting a picture of one young boy’s journey to faith during the time of the Old Testament prophet, Elijah. My own journey to faith took place around forty years ago, not quite during the time of Ahab and Jezebel but a long time ago nonetheless. I was seventeen when I discovered God was real and that He loved me. That day marked an end of searching for me.
When I decided to put my trust in Him I embarked on a new path. I was going to spend a lifetime getting to know Him. It would be my faith journey and I never looked back. I may have stumbled on that journey from time to time, but there are also times when I’ve soared. Flat on my face or flying, Jesus keeps drawing me closer to Himself. The further along I travel, the deeper and wider my faith grows. No wonder the things I write “taste like coffee”.
But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation. I will sing the Lord’s praise, for He has been good to me (Psalm 13:5-6, NIV).”
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My faith has become so much a part of who I am that it affects the flavour of everything I do.
Robin Livingston has been a Registered Nurse, a missionary, and a teacher as well as a storyteller and writer over the course of her life so far. She has worked with children of all ages for the past 30 years. She is a member of The Word Guild and a graduate of The Institute of Children’s Literature in West Redding, CT.
She grew up in the mining communities of Northern Ontario and currently resides with her husband near Elora, Ontario. Her middle grade novel, Elijah’s Boy, is available through Lulu.com or you can visit her website at www.rklivingston.com . Contact her directly at robin@rklivingston.com .
Nice to meet you, Robin! “Even when I am not writing about God, His influence in my life shines through the words I put on paper.” I found this to be true in my own life as well! Thanks, Janis, for hosting Robin today!