There's No Point to Dull Pencils

I love the feel of a pen in my hand. It’s a religious experience for me, akin to what Eric Liddell said in Chariots of Fire: “When I run, I feel God’s pleasure.” Except when I run I fear my lungs will explode. But when I write, I feel God’s pleasure. 

I suppose I should feel His pleasure no matter my writing instrument, but I’m picky about the pen I use. There’s a certain feel and flow that makes me happy. My current favorite is a Pilot Precise V5 RT. Yes, that’s a pen, not a sports car. 

Several years ago my pen ran out of ink when I was doing interviews on a mission trip. Luckily I had refills with me, but by week’s end the last one gave up the ghost in the middle of an interview. My interpreter quickly handed me another writing instrument. A pencil! And a dull one at that. Once I regained my composure, I was able to scratch out the rest of my notes using the thick lead of the dull pencil. But I was not happy about it. And I did not feel the flow. 

Finding a pencil sharpener helped matters immensely, and I actually begin to enjoy the feel of the pencil and the look of the graphite strokes on the paper. I suppose I could have persevered with the dull pencil. But a little sharpening made a world of difference. 

Proverbs 27:17 states, “As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend."

I’m posting this blog from the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference where I am surrounded by hundreds of people who put words together in ways that encourage, entertain and educate. These folks are super sharp.

• This morning I met with Vonda Skelton, an award-winning author and member of the National Speaker’s Association. She critiqued one of my articles with wisdom and wit.
• I ate lunch with Dr. Dennis Hensley, director of the department of Professional Writing at Taylor University. Among many notable accomplishments, he’s written 54 books. It was a casual conversation, but I took notes on my napkin!
• This afternoon I sat across from Jessica Kirkland, a Marketing and Literary Agent, who shared her keen insight regarding this very blog. 

I feel a bit sharper this evening, and here’s why: “It takes iron to sharpen iron. A knife is not sharpened by cloth, bread, wood, plastic, or even copper. A knife may cut and shape these things to be more useful, but they will only dull the knife. Sharpening a knife requires iron at least as hard as the knife. Once sharpened, a knife is bright, sharp, and ready for much more productive service” (Jonathan Crosby). 

I thank God for the “sharpeners” He continues to bring into my life. And whether the process is pleasant or painful, I pray God’s purposes will always be the point of my life.