Do you write Christian books for ten-year-old children? Two stories regarding ten-year-old girls have profoundly moved me over the last couple of weeks. The first was the news from Nigeria that Boko Haram are using girls as young as ten as suicide bombers. The second was UK news: girls as young as ten are being given contraceptives. Legally. Ten-year-old girls. We have some ten-year-old girls at our church. They play with dolls, read books, enjoy dancing classes, go to school, do their homework. Many girls are not so fortunate – and behind closed doors who knows what many girls have to face?
Ten-year-old girls need books that will tell them of God’s love. Boys do too, of course! If we write stories that can be found online, they can be read by children all over the world. If we produce paperbacks, we can reach children in schools, offer them as prizes to children who come to church events, send them to the children on our hearts. Who knows what seeds may be sown!
Jesus said, ‘Let the little children come to me.’ Christian writers, let’s keep writing stories that will bring children to Jesus! In some countries Christian books are forbidden, Christian schools and churches closed down, bombed and burned. Who knows what will happen where we live? We must be prepared.
As Christian writers we face these three temptations (probably many more, but I’ll stick to these three for now!):
- Thinking that our writing doesn’t matter – it does!
- Thinking that writing books for children isn’t a priority – it is!
- Thinking that we can do it all on our own without any help. Whoever heard of a Christian counsellor who hadn’t taken the time to learn basic principles? Don’t be too proud to get some help, get some prayer support, get some advice, get whatever you need. We can all improve our writing, and we all probably need to improve more than we think we do! As they say, the biggest room in the world is the room for improvement. 🙂
Thank you for reading – I hope this has encouraged you. Ten-year-old children need YOU. Pass it on!
Janet
P.S. If you’re stuck with your writing, please feel free to contact me. I’ll try to help!
Oh you are so right! We have been sleepwalking while our enemy has been so active! Now we see attacks on Christian schools under the “Trojan Horse” banner – girls as young as twelve quizzed about their views/knowledge on sexuality …and if the answer is not “right” to OFSTED – the school is put in special measures!!! Despite being a top performer in their league tables! Wake up brothers and sisters….
Thank you for reminding me that my writing for older children is so important because they are still CHILDREN and we must reach them. To be honest though – the Christian Publishing industry in the UK is tiny and they are not all endowed with your evangelical zeal. How sad that it is all about the money.
Keep up your brilliant work and thanks again for the encouragement.
Thank you so much for taking the time to reply, and for your encouragement. Indeed, these ‘older’ children are still so young. There is still so much to do.