The Whiteboard In My Office

The Whiteboard In My Office

On a wall in my office hangs an abnormally large whiteboard.

My whiteboard is essential to the sermon writing process, which in large part, includes a lot of me pacing around asking God to give me something… anything. Once He does I scribble it onto the board: a story here, some insight from a commentary there, some practical application, maybe a tear jerker to end it, and there it is… all scribbled onto my trusty whiteboard.

My assistant, Bridget, types it up for me because she’s a good Christian and then I proceed to run through it four or five times before Sunday rolls around.

Recently, as I was about to enter into sermon writing mode, I noticed that my five year old son, Asher, had drawn a few masterpieces in the bottom section. Asher’s sisters are both talented little artists… the jury is still out on Ash.

He mostly draws circles with lines protruding from them. He always has a detailed explanation for his work though, usually having something to do with a monster or Godzilla or whatever else adorable five year old boys are obsessed with.

Before erasing it I looked at it and smiled.

I thought about how similar his drawings were to what I was about to do, and more, how God views all of it.

Asher’s craft is still in progress. He hasn’t even mastered holding the marker correctly, still opting to grip it like one would hold a knife when about to stab someone (sorry for the violent image). But in his heart, he knows what he’s creating.

It’s the same for me as I attempt to write a sermon. It’s a pretty desperate process, one where I’m certain God will pull me aside in eternity one day and say, “So here’s where you got a few things wrong, but I knew your heart.”

I can’t help but think that God loves our best attempts, our little scribblings. We’re all a bit damaged and beat up in different ways, but God wants us to continue popping the tops off dry erase markers and getting back at it.

You are in process.

Keep stepping up to the whiteboard.

Husband to Jenn. Dad to Story, Journey, Asher. Lead pastor at First Christian Church, Canton.

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