I am not a professional writer by any means, in the sense that I did not take up any formal writing courses in university. In fact, I am actually a graduate of Physical Therapy from the University of the Philippines Manila. I am a board-passer, so I am supposed to be a licensed physical therapist (I say supposed to be because it has been a long, long time since I passed the board exams, and practiced my profession!).
I do recall however, wanting to be a writer when my English teacher back in secondary school (high school for those from the American school system) wrote me a note in my composition (aka essay) notebook, which went something like this: "Maria, (yes! I was called "Maria" then! Hehe. Went through an identity crisis of sorts, so I didn't want people to call me by my childhood nickname, Tina! Long story! haha. Anyway, back to what my teacher, Ms. Lauren Lau, said...), this piece was excellently written. Maybe you should consider a career in writing!" Or something to that effect.
When I told my beloved parents about it though, (and don't get me wrong, I love my Papa and Mama to pieces!) they urged me to go for a degree that could qualify as a pre-medicine course, saying that I could be a doctor who writes. (Which IS true, ya know! I personally know a few doctors who LOVE writing!)
However, to make a long story short, after graduation from UP Manila, I discerned and heeded the call to be a fulltime mission worker instead. First for CFC Youth for Christ, which brought me to places like Singapore, Borneo and Timor Leste; and then for Couples for Christ, which found me and my hubby starting our life as newlyweds and new parents on mission in Timor Leste.
Along the way, I was able to write a few articles here and there; conceptualize, write and edit a manual or two; write A LOT of reflections; come up with pastoral talks; scripts (for videos and live drama presentations); write A LOT of reports and news articles (mostly about the community) and so on.
But I never really realized that I was meant to be a writer until recently. I had been praying and discerning about what my "core gift" (quoting from Bo Sanchez) really is, because I wanted to focus on developing it and using it to bless the world. Last year, after coming back from our 5-year mission in Timor Leste, and going through some soul-searching, researching and prayer, I finally discovered what God's call for my life is:
1. To be the best Catholic wife, mother and person I can be.
2. To write; specifically to use my writing to bless the world. (Yes, this is a big dream, but what the heck, we have a big God right?!)
So far, I am doing my darndest to live out this call. It's been hard, and I've had lots of days when I failed miserably. On those days, I can just rely on God's grace and mercy to see me through to better days.
On the brighter side, in the short 12 months or so (as of this writing, July 9, 2011) that I have been trying to focus on writing (as one of my passions, and also as a vehicle towards prosperity), I have been blessed to have my written works published in a number of publications online and in print. Woohoo! Praise GOD! (Not bad for a "newbie" writer!)
So why am I telling you all this?
Simple.
I hope and pray that you too will discover your core gift. Your purpose in life. Your passion.
Don't be afraid to ask God what it is, and don't be afraid to seek opportunities where you can learn more about it, and maybe even be blessed financially by it.
I wasn't, and I thank God that He showed me the way. (He still does to this day, by the way!)
So go ahead. Dig deep inside your soul and your heart. Dream big. And don't be afraid to ASK. You may just be pleasantly surprised with the answers you'll get.
