Henry James, by John Singer Sargent (died 1925). See source website for additional information. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
“A writer should strive to be a person on whom nothing is lost.” – Henry James.
Some of you may recognize that name from literature class. Does Portrait of a Lady or The Turn of the Screw sound familiar?
Henry James became known for well-developed characters and for stories with an undercurrent of commentary on politics, the social classes, feminism, and morality.
With many works to his credit, his advice for writers–to “live aware”–is advice worth taking.
So we writers become observers–of people, situations, and creation.
We try to see more – the swirling rainbow on a bubble; the slight arch of the eyebrow indicating doubt.
We try to hear more – the squirrel’s staccato tapping as he scampers up a tree; the brief pause of uncertainty.
We try to smell more – the promise of harvest in the freshly turned soil of spring; the aroma of love in a Thanksgiving feast.
We try to taste more – the flavor of winter in a snowflake; the delectable sweetness of moments spent with family or old friends.
We try to feel more – the downy softness of silk on a milkweed seed; the comforting warmth of traditions.
As a result, we’re better equipped to convey meaning to our readers—with clarity and specificity, we hope.
And it occurred to me, Christians should also strive to be persons on whom nothing is lost.
We Christians need to live aware, so as not to miss what God reveals.
We must try to see more – in His Word, His people, and creation.
We must try to hear more – of his still, small voice.
We must try to smell more – in the fragrance of His presence.
We must try to taste more of God’s goodness in our everyday circumstances.
We must try to feel more of the wonder.
And what will be the result?
Out of the glorious riches of all these things, “we may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God” (Ephesians 3:19). God wants to fill us with His attributes:
His love—everlasting, mindful of our needs, caring.
His wisdom—truthful, trustworthy, impartial.
His holiness—pure, separate from all else, beautiful.
His righteousness—promise-keeping, miracle-working, faithful.
His power—creative, sovereign, protective.
Think of it. The King of the universe wants us to fully enjoy all that He is, all that He has to offer.
Oh, how I want to be a person on which nothing of the King is lost.
From the Inside Out 
Wonderful message, Nancy. I knew we were alike. We both like bios and the lessons we can learn from the words of others.
Thank you, Jean. We keep discovering more “likes” and priorities that we share in common, don’t we? Part of the fun of blogging!
Something happened this week that I was certain was no coincidence. I had sent for a set of four shaped magnets that I had to punch out by hand before placing them on my refrigerator. The four magnets were Peace, Courage, Strength, and Hope (with a Scripture verse on each one). Wonder of wonders, as I began punching them out I noticed that there were two Hopes! Strange that someone or some machine had made a mistake. But I think the Lord wanted to emphasize ‘Hope’ especially to me. Romans 5:5 is the verse on the magnet: “and hope does not put us to shame because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.” That set me to thinking of the many times in God’s Word where He speaks of hope. He IS the Blessed Hope, our hope for all eternity. As I sometimes agonize over recent world events or family problems these need not weigh me down…as I have Hope in my Saviour that all will be worked out according to his Will. And this double-hope I received reminds me that Peace, Courage, and Strength are all contingent upon the Hope we have in Christ…Hope that is rooted by our Faith in Him.
Thank you for sharing your uplifting story, Cheri. Beautifully written too! I never thought of Hope as the lynchpin for other virtues, such as Peace, Courage, and Strength. It’s one easy word to remember as a source of encouragement. But it’s also deep, with layers of meaning to be explored.