A shorter version of this post appeared on Seriously Write.
Though most of us have gone through hard times, we’ve probably never before suffered such an intense period of refining. The lessons we’re learning, shared with our readers while the hardships are still in progress, have provided countless opportunities to engender renewed confidence in Christ.
At the turn of this century, our family went through challenging times. We were hit hard by numerous difficulties, coupled with six relocations. One of these landed us across the street from Columbine High School five days before the massacre.
The isolation we felt as we moved multiple times, coupled with losing all of our supportive relationships repeatedly, left us feeling traumatized like Job, with no one in our corner but God. At one point, I felt betrayed by even Him. These events birthed my autoimmune diseases.
Eventually, these experiences also birthed copious writing. The Lord had provided a wealth of experiential knowledge that I had never wanted, and yet, these hardships provided commonality with so many others. From the knowledge of what it is to truly suffer, what it means to lack social support during suffering, and what is necessary to even begin to recover, I discovered that the Savior had equipped me to write with the strength gained through tribulation.

And yet, as we’ve gone through these past five months, for the first time in my life a novel isn’t cooking in my brain. Writing fiction is exhilarating, but my mind now daily digests our current devastating life events, and I am silent. I’ve got nothing.
I cannot write characters who experience the setbacks that make a good story, because we have enough trauma of our own right now. I simply cannot subject myself to the traumatizing effect of my fictional characters’ difficulties on top of our own.
Additionally, because I can’t yet perceive the interpretation of our current circumstances within the larger narrative of our family life, I’m in mourning. I’m not grounded solidly enough in these current realities to pen fiction. Who are we now? Who would these fictional people be?
You may be experiencing this, or the opposite. You may have fresh stories springing forth, now that you’ve experienced this devastating, though rich, companionship with loneliness, hardship, sickness, and perhaps death, which God in His goodness has allowed for our welfare.
In this time of pandemic and social upheaval, what work is the Savior doing in you? How is it impacting your writing? We will each have an entirely unique takeaway.
In this time of #pandemic and social upheaval, what work is the Savior doing in you? How is it impacting your writing? We will each have an entirely unique takeaway. #WritingCommunity #WritingLife Click To TweetAs we’ve endured this time of struggle, my family has simultaneously experienced some of the most horrific tragedies we’ve ever lived through, making our past trials small by comparison.
And yet, those troubles from our past were definitely not small, since they consisted of the Columbine massacre, a life flight, an assault, major surgeries, debridement, economic losses, and kids tangling with moving automobiles, for starters.
We’ve suffered much, and yet every trial in the past five months, though more wrenchingly difficult, has seemed more bearable than those earlier decades, because the entire world is experiencing hardship simultaneously.
We’re all on the same page. We’re all struggling. We’re all suffering in some way. No one needs to explain themselves. We can console one another right where we are, rather than being the lone suffering family with everyone else looking at us like Job’s so-called friends.
We’re all on the same page. We’re all struggling. We’re all suffering in some way. No one needs to explain. We can console one another right where we are, rather than being Job's miserable comforters. Click To Tweet
And so, dear writers, what can we learn?
Recently, I tangled with one of Job’s friends, their sharp words and wrong assumptions leaving deep wounds that hurt for days afterward, keeping me awake at night, the hurt ever-present on my mind. Job said this about the “friends” who gathered to “comfort him” during his suffering:
“As for you, you whitewash with lies;
worthless physicians are you all.
Oh that you would keep silent” (Job 13:4-5 ESV).
“I have heard many such things;
miserable comforters are you all.
Shall windy words have an end?
Or what provokes you that you answer?
I also could speak as you do,
if you were in my place;
I could join words together against you
and shake my head at you” (Job 16:2-4 ESV).
Like Job, we have the freedom to choose how we’ll write and speak. We can determine never to be like Job’s friends, miserable comforters all, worthless physicians, but rather to sit with the mourners in solidarity and silence from here on out, remembering the lessons of our shared hardships.
We can determine never to be like Job’s friends, miserable comforters, but rather to sit with the mourners in solidarity and silence from here on out, remembering the lessons of our shared hardships. Click To TweetWe can aspire never to write like Job’s friends would have penned, condemnatory and smug, but instead to write from a position of sympathy and kindness, in solidarity with those suffering, rather than judging them.
We can aspire never to #write like Job’s friends would have penned, condemnatory and smug, but instead to write from a position of sympathy and kindness, in solidarity with those suffering, rather than judging. Click To TweetThis is how we can bless our readers and, simultaneously, how we can become more like Jesus, who regards us with the kindest sympathy and upholds us during every single trial.
Let’s write with the mercy, tenderness, and kindheartedness of Christ.
How has this time of hardship shaped your writing? How has it impacted how you speak about trials and the harm that has occurred to so many people during this struggle?
How have you grown in compassion during this difficult time? How has this time of struggle changed you?

I highly recommend Anne Mackie Morelli’s book When Grief Descends:
![When Grief Descends: Suffering, Consolation, And The Book Of Job by [Anne Mackie Morelli]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41ZBXXGDNdL.jpg)
I am finding it difficult to focus on writing some weeks as this pandemic drags on. It has impacted my mood at times too. But, I do know God has a plan and purpose so I put my trust in Him. Thanks for sharing your thoughts
It impacts each of us so uniquely. I have one friend who has churned out several short novels and a screenplay during this pandemic, whereas, I’ve got nothing. Writing through Hebrews has been a lifeline for me, however. We’re all working through this in our own way, growing in our trust in the Lord. Thanks for sharing what’s happening with you, Yvonne.
Needed to reread this…this pandamic messes with the mind….came back to it for encouragement…
I write what I need to hear, and so I figure others need to hear the same thing. I’m glad that my posts are encouraging you during this hard time, Terri. Thank you for commenting.
What I’ve been learning in this most challenging of times is grace. We all need to understand how this works, not only in our own lives, but in the lives of everyone. Grace for those in pain, for problematic perceptions, and the poor souls facing stresses and tragedies that we can’t fully comprehend. It’s all about grace, and I certainly have lots to learn yet about it. Grace to you, my friend!
Great emphasis – grace – as an observer of another’s hardship or even if the offending party is one of Job’s friends. We’re all doing quite a bit of grace-offering during this pandemic, and we’ll have a lot more grace to offer to others before this is over and before our lives reach their conclusions. Great point, Lisa!
Melinda, enjoyed reading this post again…and the additions. I pray to encourage my readers with compassion and kindness and become more like Jesus along the way.
Thanks a great goal! We strive to be encouraging. Compassion and kindness are dearly needed during this difficult time. Thanks for commenting, Karen!
I’ve noticed more and more articles and devotions about COVID and how people are dealing with this virus. I have also noticed more compassion and understanding as we navigate new rules. Praying for everyone.
It’s the challenge of our time, and so many people are struggling. Compassion and understanding, as you mention, are essential, for all of us are suffering in one way or another. For some of us, this means we won’t be able to see our adult children for a long period of time. This is true for us, and it is exceedingly painful that our children who live far away simply cannot come because of the dangers and the quarantine requirements after they travel. You have a sensitive heart, Melissa.
Strangely, this pandemic has actually offered me more time to write. The struggle is real, however. I know one person who was close to my mother and died of the virus. And two other people close to us who committed suicide within a week of each other. So it’s been very difficult to deal with so much death all around us. And then there is the disunity within our church over this very virus. But God and his grace is giving me more time to be in his word and it has actually fueled more passion to write. I’m thankful for his grace even amidst so much heartache.
Thank you for sharing your heart Melinda! I’m so sorry that someone spoke to you harshly like Job’s friends. Sometimes people just don’t take the time to understand what someone’s going through before they spout off their “solutions” to problems.
Marcie, I’m glad your writing has been benefited by this situation. I know this has been true for so many writers, while others are like me, no words in our typical vehicle of inspiration. For me, the hardest thing has been the inability to see our children who don’t live nearby. We simply won’t be able to see the majority of our children this year, because of the requirements of safety and of quarantine restrictions afterward. For me that’s especially difficult, for many in our state didn’t follow the CDC instructions, and, as a result, we ended up being one of the worst states in the country for number of cases. That fact cancelled our family gathering. The actions of others hurt us personally in this way. We must keep forgiving and trusting God, for he is sovereign over all.
Grace is such a blessing, whether we’re giving it or receiving it. May we know this blessing even in our writing. Thanks for this reminder. Many blessings to you!