Yesterday I hauled out lots of old Writer’s Digests and some other assorted writing books looking for editing checklists. I happened on an article by Nancy Sanders in the September 2008 issue of Christian Communicator. Amongst editing tips such as striking out weak words and breaking up run-on sentences she added this tip. “Ask God to reveal places in your manuscript that don’t honor His name. Does the manuscript as a whole represent biblical values even if it isn’t intended for a Christian audience?” She went on to encourage Christian writers to set the high standard of writing every word as a representative of Christ, whether the piece is a poem, a how-to or a book review. It was a good reminder for me. I write pieces on education and family life in addition to writing devotionals and other explicitly Christian material. Every time I put a word on paper I’m in God’s diplomatic corps. It’s not so much a reminder to stay away from using unsavory language or exploring real life situations involving sin, but I see it more positively as freedom to take my faith via my writing into every aspect of my writing life. It’s refreshing to be rid of little boxes into which we segment our lives–religion in one box, education in another, parenting in another and entertainment…you get the picture. Wholeness comes when our lives are one tapesty with the various strands  woven in together, creating a piece that is pleasing both to ourselves and to the Lord.