Listen attentively, read attentively, and write to your heart's content

【2012 Leap of Literary Camp Heart and Pen】

I have always loved reading, but I lost many opportunities to read good books when I went to work in the countryside. During college and when I went abroad to survive, I devoted myself to studying professional knowledge such as engineering and finance. I had no time to pay attention to good books, let alone good books. writing. Now that my daughter is independent, she doesn’t have to bear the financial burden; after her parents pass away, she doesn’t have to go back to the country every year to visit and take care of her. I wanted to review my life and write something. An inexplicable impulse drove me to sign up for KRC’s writing camp.

pick up dreams

After five days of study, I felt the enjoyment that has been elusive for many years-to be completely free from the interference of work and complicated things, and to devote myself fully to the text learning life of listening, watching and reading.

In the morning sermon, the pastor was supposed to be talking about faith and theology, but I heard full of literary words, vivid descriptions of biblical characters, plots and historical backgrounds, as well as questions from heaven that struck my soul after the story:

"Are you aware of the turning points in your life?!" "How did you respond?!"

In the writing training class, the Chinese teacher was supposed to be teaching how to read and write; but what I heard was reflection on faith based on the observation of human nature and the appreciation of the truth, goodness, and beauty of life. I can't tell, I can't tell. Is the person on the podium a rigorous-thinking theologian? A loving pastor? Is he a writer who is full of ideas? Or a teacher who is good at teaching? I just listen attentively, read attentively, and enjoy it to the fullest.

Read "Naaman Coming Out of the Bath" and "What Will Come to Gehazi?" 》, the in-depth analysis and discussion of the Old Testament Bible "2 Kings" brought a story from a historical book to life, and allowed me to see the beauty of family altars. "With True Love, Home is Heaven" is a good book I got on how to practice and build a family altar.

Watching the DVD "As for Me and My Family" touched my memories of my parents who passed away recently and the past events. I feel guilty and regretful about a lot of things I should have done but didn’t have time to do. Teacher Su’s loving and philosophical prayers not only brought peace to my heart, but also reminded me to think rationally, forget about what’s behind and work hard on what’s ahead, so as to bear a good witness for the Lord.

dream weaving

In the short film "Dance", the pas de deux performed by a one-legged male actor and a one-armed female actor made me ponder for a long time in just a few minutes. The dances and movements of the two actors were so skillful and graceful, and their coordination was perfect (I didn't even notice that the actress had one arm at first!).

On the stage curtain, there is a huge Chinese character "Dance" written in cursive writing. The character "西" written in the lower left corner is short and small. Intentionally or unintentionally, it reflects the half-broken leg of the actor. The last vertical character on the lower right side of the character "Dance" is dragged out. It's long and shadowy, and it's unclear whether it's the crutch that flies with the dance, or the extraordinarily strong and powerful one leg.

The design and performance of the dance, and the crutches that most people regard as a burden, are actually integrated and very elegant. The black word "Dance" and the white dancers were in perfect harmony. My eyes were moistened by the soft and sad music. Ballet is an ivory tower art for ordinary people with normal limbs, let alone this pair of disabled people!

I felt that what was displayed in front of me was not ordinary ballet skills, but a brilliant life and an eternal theme. I marvel at the greatness of God’s creation and lament the artistic expression God has bestowed upon man. The Bible says: “God created everything beautiful in its own time, and He has placed eternal life in the hearts of men.” (Ecclesiastes 3:11) I sincerely admire the dancer’s willpower to overcome herself, and I also secretly examine my determination to practice writing. .

Dream come true

Since I believed in the Lord, my life has been constantly changing. I often want to say something or write something, but find that I think more and write less. Sometimes when I speak out, my words often fail to convey what I mean, which confuses the listeners. I thought that all I lacked was the ability to write and express, but the five-day writing camp reminded me that "workers come before work, and authors are more important than works."

The teacher said: "The words themselves have no life. Unless someone injects life into the words and introduces them into living consciousness, then the bright and beautiful rhythm will appear." This means that spiritual practice is to achieve "having stories and being able to write them." The premise is that "Qi Mei" is the operating system that realizes the "leap between heart and pen".

I like reading. As long as I have time, I can read several books in one sitting. Sometimes I read very quickly, but I am very lazy when writing my thoughts after reading. The "Qi every" principle requires not only reading, but also writing. This is a challenge for me. Reading in a hurry will not really bring about progress. When you read a good place, you must slow down deliberately, read it over and over, read it aloud, and take notes frequently, so that you can truly accumulate and write good articles. This is the most enlightening point about Teacher Su’s teaching this time, and it is also the point that I lack the most and need the most practical practice.

In the book "You Can Write, Too", Teacher Su quoted the words of Oswald Chambers, a Scottish pastor in the early 20th century and the author of "Dedicated to the Lord": "An author can teach you the most, not because he tells you what you don't know. It tells you things because it expresses things that you cannot express."

After reading this introduction, I suddenly felt a collision in my heart: Yes, this is what I need to seek through reading and accumulate through copying and practicing writing! Starting from here, only then can we meet the talents and think together, and only then can we create creations. I felt that I had no reason not to work hard to practice "copying a good article every week"; I began to have the courage to give "submitting an article every month" a try. As for whether I can stick to the time required by "Qi every", I can't guarantee it, but I am willing to work hard. After all, this writing camp gave me a real start to my dream of "a leap between heart and pen".

Author profile Qi Xu, from mainland China. Full-time tax advisor (EA) and financial planner (CFP). I love reading and watching movies. I also like to read novels and essays when I take a break from my busy schedule. These are the most enjoyable enjoyments in my leisure life. Now lives in New Jersey.