Power of the Written Word

By John Maust

Earlier this week we received an unexpected LittWorld scholarship gift from our friend Mary. "I soooo wanted to attend LittWorld," she said, "but it has not worked out to my great disappointment. God has blessed us with some extra this month, so at least I can help someone else get there."

Mary's gift encouraged us, and so did her reminder about the power of the written word. "I recently nonchalantly gave a retired pastor friend of mine a wonderful reflective book by Joan Chittister, The Gift of Years: Growing Old Gracefully," Mary wrote. "He later told me that it literally changed his life.

"He was in a depression about retirement, and God used Chittister's words to challenge and redirect him. That author will never know about this one pastor who was touched by her writing, years after her book's publication. So, don't get discouraged or grow weary...because you never how God will use even one author's words in his/her town, village or country."