I am so pleased to know you found inspiration in my words, Matthew. Writing is such an amazing experience. It is a salve to many wounds. I too have used writing as therapy. My journal is full of vulnerable musings amid darker times. It’s also full of bright language illuminated from the light of a sunny day. To me, that’s the beauty of writing. There are words for every moment. It’s just a matter of finding the right combination for the particular moment in which you find yourself.

It saddens me to hear that you had such a negative experience with Christianity. For what it’s worth, that is not a picture of the God I know and love. Jesus spoke a message of abounding love and immaculate grace. Also, there is so much vivid and beautiful writing in the Bible. The Psalms are riddled with passages where David shared our love of using writing as therapy, questioning God about the pain and destruction he saw in the world around him. I have gone to those passages for comfort many times.

I look forward to reading more of your writing. Thank you for reading and responding. It means so much to me. Best wishes, my friend!