Sherry r. kirkland

Testimony… why I began writing?

I used to go on these long walks to stay active but even more so to think on the Lord, to meditate and listen to worship music. I loved my walks, being out in nature always made me feel like I was seen and heard by the Lord. My walks became like prayer for me.

One day on my walk, with the forest on my right side and an empty industrial park on my left side, I heard a voice. “WRITE A BOOK.” It was simple but it was clear, direct and straightforward. It stopped me in my tracks. I still can’t remember what I was thinking the moments before, but this voice had my full attention. I looked around and around but there was no one there. No people, no cars, no trucks… just me.

I didn’t know if it was God or an angel but the voice came from outside and the inside of me. It didn’t come from a specific direction but everywhere. My best description is that it was ‘big’. I know that may not make any sense but there was no mistaking it for anything else.

I couldn’t stop thinking about it and I didn’t know what to do about it. I had never written anything outside of school, let alone a book. I didn’t know anyone who written a book either. What would I write about? If I wrote something, how would I get it into a book? I didn’t have a computer, and I didn’t know how to type. I didn’t have a clue on how to even start.

There were so many things that I didn’t know. The more I thought about it, the more unsure I became that it was even God. The enemy can for sure try to mislead you, right? And if it was God, He would for sure give me some direction, right? So, I began praying about it and asking for some sort of confirmation.

About a week or two later, on one of my walks I got answer to my prayers. I was listening to Travis Greene, The Hill. I started thinking about my testimony, all the things that God had done for me and the experiences and encounters that I had had throughout my life. It was like it was all being downloaded at once. I felt like I was being given one chapter after another. I had so much information that I stopped my walk and ran back to my car. I needed to write it all down.

That day I picked up my pen and paper and began to write. God was with me every step of the way. There were nights when I woke up knowing what to add and what to change. I had dreams that told me who to contact and what to do next. There were some hiccups along the way, but I kept going because I knew what I heard, and I knew that it came from someone greater than me.

This was my first lesson in obedience. When God speaks, he speaks for a reason and we have to listen, right? This process also birthed a love of writing and gave my life purpose. And I’ve been writing ever since.

So, the answer to the question of why I started writing it’s easy… because God told me to:)