In my opinion, writing is THE most important skill we can learn. Life nowadays depends on it. Whether it’s writing for a job, writing for fun, or even texting and emailing back and forth between friends, the situations in which we write have increased immensely. Writing has become an irreplaceable part of our lives.

Writing is something very precious to me. As an avid reader and bookworm, I grew up reading any book I could get my hands on. I would read into the wee hours of the morning, curled up on my bed with either a lamp lighting the pages from behind me or a flashlight revealing each new paragraph below. I was hooked on the cleverly crafted scenes, captivating plots, and unique characters that authors would bring to life. What was once my favorite method of escape as a kid has become what I most respect as a writing student in college.

As I get older, I hope to capture these qualities within my own writing. I’ve grown to admire more than just a story’s ability to transport me to another world, and instead, recognize the writing techniques and creativity required to get there. I’ve learned it’s not easy, but it’s still massively important.

God highlighted this importance when He wrote the Ten Commandments on tablets of stone. He then reinforced that importance by prompting Moses to record all of history before that point: the creation, the fall, the story of Noah and the flood, the Abrahamic covenant, the story of Jacob fighting God, the journey of the Israelites out of Egypt, and all the events in-between. God documented these things so people would never forget; so they would forever have permanent reference to the laws He created for their safety and the stories that showed His faithfulness to the Israelites.

This same urge to write to remember and enlighten explains why we still have historical accounts, letter correspondences, law systems, and personal diaries (among other documents) that from long ago. Early civilizations needed a way to track and record things for future reference. Or, as in the case of Paul in the New Testament, they needed a way to teach, correct, and encourage from hundreds of miles away.

Nowadays, we write for so many more reasons than to just document history, tell God’s story, write correspondence letters, or teach. While these still make up much of the written work out there today, writing has also become a place where people find freedom in their ability to write. Whether it’s journals, creative stories, poetry, books, podcasts, journalistic articles, or news updates, writing has become an outlet for emotion and a way to share thoughts through written words.

For me, my outlet has been personal prayer journaling after reading my Bible. By writing out my prayers, I have a clearer picture and greater understanding of what I had been thinking and intending to say. The challenges introduced in our PWID classes have allowed me to recognize the importance of continuing to hone my writing skills. Through the essays, feature articles, creative pieces, technical documentation, and website content that I have had to create, PWID has shown me just how important writing is.