Iotas in Eternity: Everyday Words for Eternal Purposes

“Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O LORD, my rock and my redeemer” (Psalm 19:14).

After several years of regular, weekly writing, now seems as good a time as any to explain what the name of my blog, Iotas in Eternity, could possibly mean. If you’ve been perplexed, my apologies for the wait! Indeed, over the years I’ve received no shortage of questions about the title—though I am most happy to explain the rationale behind my word choice.

Before that, however, it would be best if I threw open the door to my heart somewhat.

Ever since I was a young boy, I’ve felt a constant pull—steady, strong, though seemingly imperceptible—towards the world of words. As a youth, I fell headlong into the deep imaginative reservoir of literature penned by C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien, and Jules Verne, sparking within me an even deeper longing to write alongside these men. Buried as I forever may be underneath the collective weight of their literary shadow, the ache to write yet persists.

Before becoming a follower of Christ, there was always a sense about me that my most natural state was one with a pen (or laptop) in hand, burdened under some fresh idea. A poking, prodding idea that would not let go of me until I cut the page with it; allowing the words to flow as they would, issuing from me as some sort of wound—though, perhaps balm is a better word for it.

Outside of Christ this feeling was all aches and groans and restlessness. In Christ, it is now peace and joy. In the hands of Christ, my writing has found its muse, the One whom my soul loves most; almost as if a mighty dam has finally been let open, gently making its way from and then back to Him who is the Source, the Ocean.

Indeed, it wasn’t until I came to know the Lord—the living Word (John 1)—that my own words found a true and lasting home. As with anyone who becomes a Christian, His Spirit gave me a renewed heart with new, Godly affections. Suddenly, my newfound desire to worship the God who saved me and my old desire to write at once shook hands and became intertwined; much like a hand slipping into a perfectly tailored glove for which it was made stitch by stitch.

When I gaze upon the beauty of Christ, what can I do but write unto Him in return? His matchless glory holds me as a joyful and willing captive, compelling me to write, write, write—and strive with all my might to write well. Doubtless other Christian creatives feel the same, whatever form their work may take. The chorus of The Beggar Who Gives Alms, a song by Christian—and Canadian!—rock group Downhere, navigates these wordless aches well:

“Gold and silver have I none,

But such I have give Thee;

Borrowed words from the One

Who gave the gift to me;

The Pearl that I could never buy,

This life, this dream, this song;

And I am just a beggar who gives alms.”

No matter how high our prose may climb, or how deep our song settles in the hearts of those who hear, we are in the end but beggars who joyfully and humbly give alms unto Him who gave the gift to begin with. As James says,

“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change” (James 1:17).

Language, literature, music, art, poetry—it all belongs to Him and comes from Him, having found its conception in His mind long, long ago. Any gift we can give Him, whether small or great, is but a gift already first bestowed by Him. As His redeemed image bearers, it is our duty to stewards these gifts well and return them to Him, having exhausted their potential for His glory.

And that, my friend, is where the name Iotas in Eternity comes in.

An iota (aiᐧowᐧtuh) is a Greek word, defined most simply as “an extremely small amount.” It also functions as the 9th letter of the Greek alphabet. You may remember our Lord Himself using the word iota in the Gospels when He says,

“For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished” (Matthew 5:18).

Not a single dotted i or crossed t of the Law will be neglected or ignored in Christ’s establishment of the Kingdom of God. Everything foretold in the Old Testament about the coming Messiah and His righteous work—down to a single pen stroke, an iota—will be fulfilled. Every jot and tittle will be accounted for.

As a man who is both a Christian and a writer, it is a solemn joy to write as unto the Lord. It is also a solemn responsibility. If every careless word—every iota, though minute as a grain of sand—will be accounted for in the end, how much more every reckless word written or typed on the internet? Indeed, there are no idle iotas.

At Iotas in Eternity, it has not been, nor ever will be, my desire to chase trends and headlines. This may mean my work is viewed and shared less than it otherwise would be, but so be it. Every iota will be accounted for in the end. For though a grain of sand be small, among the smallest of all things, what is a mighty beach but the consistent, faithful accumulation of tiny grains of sand over time? For good or for ill, great things often stem from small beginnings. For my part, I would much rather be faithful over little, than unfaithful in much.

Since beginning to write, whether on this blog or elsewhere, it has always remained my chief desire to write things that are true. Things which are not simply true for today, mind you, but things that were true 100 years ago, 1,000 years ago, and which will continue to be true 10,000 years from now and forever thereafter. When I stand before the Lord Jesus Christ at the end of my life—as we all will—I want to stand tall and joyful knowing I had done all within my power to serve Him and His body, the church, with those things He gave me, whether it was little or much.

The Lord has given me everyday words with which to work my craft. It is my utmost desire to stretch and strain those everyday words for eternal purposes—for His glory and your good. Thus, Iotas in Eternity. And, should no one save the Lord Himself read my work—well, He is audience enough for me.

As I look ahead at the year to come, it is my desire to write more and to write better. This pursuit, in addition to my work as a teacher and caring for my small—though growing!—family, lends itself well to help from others. Through the years, there has been some interest in supporting my work as a paid subscriber or member—something I was deeply encouraged and humbled by, but a responsibility I wasn’t ready to commit to back then.

And while I will continue to write until my dying day should never a single cent come my way, this new endeavor has been on my heart for some time. With all of this in mind, it is with immense excitement (coupled with as much humility as I can muster) that I present to you, dear readers, my Patreon page—a place where you can support me as I continue to write, in any way you feel led, whether paid or free. I warmly welcome you to visit the Patreon page for Iotas in Eternity by clicking the button below:

Patreon

Once more, keep in mind that without any monetary support I will continue writing unto the Lord and for His church. He is worthy, and there is scarcely a thing I enjoy more than having the honour of serving others through the written word. Indeed, nothing short of death will keep me from writing; have no fear, I’m not going anywhere! But, your support would be a tremendous encouragement nonetheless, one that I will strive to steward faithfully as I continue to provide for my family and cover miscellaneous blogging costs (paying for a domain, email marketing, and the like).

Should you choose to support my writing at this time, I can’t promise you much more than that which I’ve already given—my heart, my words, and as many jewels as I can dig up from God’s word. Down the road I would love to bless my supporters and subscribers with special offers or premium benefits, while still keeping all my work free to others. Perhaps these perks will come with time, though not yet. What I can promise each of you, however, is that I will continue to polish nuggets of gold from those things I read, see, and experience until they shine brightly for your reading pleasure. And above all, to encourage you best as I am able with unfading truth from the word of the Lord.

If you’ve been blessed and encouraged by my writing through the years, I humbly invite you to walk alongside me in this new and exciting adventure. Though, of course, there is no pressure to do so—not now, not ever. And as always, the very best support you can offer me remains the very thing that many of you have already done: simply reading, encouraging me, and then sharing my work with others. My friends, if not for this encouragement I may have ceased writing long ago—you know who you are, and you have my heart.

Thank you, my friends, for this great kindness you’ve done me by welcoming my words into your minds, homes, and hearts. I look forward with immense joy to serving you and our Lord in the years to come with everyday words for eternal purposes.

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Photo by Matt Antonioli, Unsplash

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