More from Mary Shiny Lijo

Praise the Lord. A new season in my life has begun, and I can’t believe how far I’ve come!

Becoming a writer is a dream come true for me!

I am Mary, a mother of two who focuses entirely on parenting and family life. I think it is one of the most key ministries a woman can do, and it was thrilling! I had no notion I could write until my pastor suggested I submit a piece for the church magazine.

That was the beginning of my writing journey, similar to the biblical concept of investing my gifts. I gradually discovered how much I like writing. There was a major shift from my usual routine to a fantastic thing. That was the spark. It’s all because of my pastor, who recognized talent in me that I didn’t know existed. That is a fresh discovery!

Even though I liked writing pieces for the church, I would not put my heart out there. Every day, fresh thoughts emerged inside me, ready to be expressed. But where should I place them? That was what I was looking for. One delightful day, a guest pastor in church stated that some of us will be “writers.” That term struck me, so I dashed home and looked it up on Google. The first name that appeared was The Upper Room, which exceeded my expectations. I paused, thinking to myself, No way! I’m not going to make it. But after some thought, I decided to give it a try.

A year later, when I opened an email, a familiar name in the inbox grabbed my interest with its nostalgic appeal and evoked a flood of recollections. I read the email many times, my eyes reading every word carefully.

Isaiah 55:11 says, “So shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.”

My pastor usually says, “When the Lord says anything, trust it will happen.” This always proves to be true. I tried it, but I ignored God’s time. And now I am composing my first blog post! All glory to God and The Upper Room for the vision God has given them.

I was born and raised in the UAE. A terrific young pastor at Youth for Christ there supported and mentored me, and that was the beginning of my spiritual journey. A few years later, I married and joined a lively church community in India, marking a new chapter in my personal and spiritual growth. The pastors were excellent. They helped me grasp who I really was in Christ and gave me a tremendous opportunity to grow in ministry, especially via house groups and youth work. As my faith grew, I felt the Lord led me and my family to a new church where we are exploring new spiritual realms, which we are truly enjoying. I am blessed to have a lovely family that has always supported me in everything I do. When it comes to devotional writing, I am thrilled to send and receive fresh manna from heaven every day.