When the Well Runs Dry

Finding a place to refill

We all have a limited daily word count. Some of us have a higher output than others, but even the most prolific writers have a limit.

Perhaps you’ve been asked to write a reference for someone you haven’t always seen eye to eye with - and you must write honestly, while also keeping the eighth commandment and putting everything in the kindest way. That requires creative word count.

Perhaps you’ve been asked to say a few words at an event. You want to present yourself and the organization well. You spend time considering and practicing what you will say. That requires creative word count.

Perhaps your child has disobeyed in a way that was unexpected and you have to respond. You need to be fair and just, firm but merciful, not exasperating your child while also training them up in the way they should go. That requires creative word count.

Perhaps there’s an email or a memo that needs to go out to your coworkers on a challenging topic and your message must be accurate and concise, not too wordy or confusing, but covering all of the necessary information. That requires creative word count.

Perhaps your child has run out of books to read and insists you tell a story - maybe one from your own childhood. That requires creative word count.

At the end of the day, you only have so many words and the world demands you craft them well. In your job, your church, and your home, words matter. The things we say are effective long after we have left them. The tongue is a mighty weapon. We must wield it for good, not for evil.

Eventually, the well runs dry and you need a refill. You may still have plenty of words, but they do not come out well - they taste bitter and they sting the hearer. Under pressure, they get mixed up and come out with meanings different than we intended. To keep our creative word count high, and to wield the power of our words well, we must refresh and refill.

Perhaps a good book or a long conversation with a friend who doesn’t require a script. Perhaps a walk in the woods or a cup of coffee in the morning sun.

When your words get jumbled in your head and you need to straighten them out, what helps you refresh and refill so you can face the next demand for your creative word count?

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