There’s an advertisement for a new show that Oprah is doing called “The Big Give.” I’m not sure exactly what it’s about…..but it seems to be based on who can give the most money away. Interesting concept. Money certainly can make a difference in someone’s life.
But i’m thinking about a “big give” that i’ve been part of called “Write About Jesus”. It’s where professional writers in the industry….people who are on the cutting edge of music….people who are getting cuts and making a living at writing…..agree to meet with fledgling writers: people who are just dabbling in writing, people who have absolutely no connections to the industry, people who aren’t even sure they want to pursue a career in writing……..and those professional writers GIVE of themselves all weekend.
They meet in small groups and teach. They offer one-on-one time and encourage. They sit at lunch and dinner tables just to chat. It’s really an amazing thing.
It usually happens once a year in St. Louis, but now (in addition to that) they are offering a one day type-dealy in Nashville this March! That means another chance to sit in on some great classes and sit at a lunch table and chat. I absolutely can not wait!
But what makes it all even better is that the WAJ group is really more than about Clinicians (those professional people) and the students, it’s about family…..because that’s what we have become. We don’t just meet once a year. We keep in touch. We email each other, we encourage each other in the small successes and we pray for each other in the struggles.
Because writing is about life. Writing is about what’s real. Writing is being vulnerable. And when you find a group of people who care about that and believe in that…..you’ve found a family.
