Passing that Baton on

It was a perfect autumn day. I sat there in my backyard relishing the blue skies as they smiled down on me. Golden sunshine danced around me like salsa dancers at their finest – bringing colour and joy into my world. A mad wind tore around my garden. All the plants and trees in my yard bowed to it in subservience.

More glad breezes rushed in suddenly. As they passed each tree, the tree in question performed a merry dance to its music. Faster and faster – shaking its leaves like a belly dancer in green, moving her body enchantingly and enticingly. The breeze passed to the next tree which took up its dance. And the next… and the next. I watched spell bound. Very intriguing – almost as if a message was being passed from tree to tree.

It reminded me of a baton being passed from tree to tree, from bush to bush from plant to plant. A baton handed to a tree which took up the dance before handing it to the next one. And so it went on. A fascinating sight.

Passing the baton. As I muse on the topic, a thought occurs to me. As writers, do we take the baton from our forerunners? Do we in turn pass a baton on? Do we continue something that was begun centuries ago – from hieroglyphics on walls to writing on animal skins. From ancient writing on papyrus to computer typing in the modern day.

Aren’t we blessed that we have so much modern paraphernalia to write on and write with? Being a writer who’s handwriting is a disgrace (sorry, but it’s true) – I can’t tell you how thankful I am that I live in an age when I am excused if I type letters rather than write them. At least people can read my letters that way. I’m blessed to use a word processor that can check my spelling at the click of a button. I’m grateful I can cut and paste and edit my documents freely because I use a computer to write my books and not paper and pen as in days gone by.

We who live in the 21st century have much to be grateful for, don’t we? We take the baton from writers who have gone before us. L.M.M. Montgomery is one I’d love to take the baton from. There are many more. Jeffrey Archer, Mary Stewart, Louisa M Alcott, Markus Zuzak, Richard Foster, Philip Yancy, C.S. Lewis, N.T. Wright, C.S. Lewis, Dallas Willard are a few who spring to mind. Their writing has greatly impacted my life. I have been blessed to learn from them. Yes, I’d love to get the baton from each of them.

As writers, each of us is unique. And yet –our writing is the result of much reading and learning and accepting batons from numerous remarkable writers from the past. Best of all, we have a story to tell that has eternal consequences. We aren’t writing just to make a dent in the literary world. As Christian writers we are writing because of the flame God lit in our hearts when we became His.

We write because we can’t help but share the good news in whatever form we are called to - either implicitly or explicitly. We write because the love of God shed abroad in our hearts compels us to share the glad news of the Greatest Story ever told.

How’s your writing fire burning these days? If you are discouraged, disappointed, tired or in despair – do take a moment to look back and remember. Remember the baton that was given you by the writers of yore. Remember afresh the baton that was passed into your hand by the Word made flesh when He called you to your own Writing Journey.

May you and I be faithful to our call. May we pass that baton on, with joy, enthusiasm and with much excitement. One day we will see the results of all our writing endeavours and we might even be surprised. In the world’s eyes we may have not done much. But in the eyes of the Our Creator – if we have been faithful to our call, it is enough.

And so…. let me with deep joy, pass that baton on.



Anusha has always been fascinated by the English language and loves playing with words. She is thankful she can continue playing many decades since she first began. She is passionate about Jesus and the difference He has made in her life. She also loves to sing, to make friends, to read, to write, to walk and to admire the beauty of God's Creation. Do drop in at her website, Dancing in the Rain to say Hello.

http://anusha-atukorala.webnode.com/