More From Cindy Lee

“A Special Prize” is my first published devotional piece for The Upper Room, which I am really excited about. It is so inspiring to witness how God can use something we see or experience to reach other people around the world.

As someone who was an incredibly shy child, words have always fascinated me. It started with listening quietly to people’s conversations and stories about situations that had happened to them and believing they would teach me life lessons. Next, I began reading books that gave me access to new adventures and different places. Novels opened my mind to all kinds of possibilities. I discovered that being able to write ideas down was a way to express myself and make sense of my own thoughts in a noisy, extroverted world.

Years ago, I remember listening to a teacher read stories from a children’s Bible. Immediately, I was transported into Biblical themes of hope, love, and the knowledge that we are precious to God. So I was elated when, many years later, one of my students chose a second-hand Bible to read and was entranced by its message.

Words have the power to harm or hurt, but they can also heal and comfort. Living in a society where it seems that Christianity is being ushered out the back door, it is such a privilege to be part of the community of The Upper Room where the word of God changes lives, as do the writers who can inspire others to make a difference.

This may have been my first devotional for The Upper Room, but it certainly wasn’t the first one I submitted. So if you have a burning desire to write and your mediation wasn’t selected this time, don’t give up. Keep trying and see where your heart and the Holy Spirit lead you. Writing is a wonderful form of expression, as is reading. When the two come together, language has the power to transform lives.