Nails

James Michener is an insightful writer who has mastered the fine art of writing over a long career. He is the author of many extraordinary books including, The World Is My Home. In that book he reveals the secret to what has kept him writing decade after decade.

He tells the story of growing up as a small child. He talks about an encounter with a farmer who lived near the Michener's family.

The old farmer hammered eight nails into the trunk of an old, unproductive apple tree.

In the autumn of the year the aged tree yielded an enormous crop of succulent apples.

Michener, as a small boy, asked how this miracle happened.

The old farmer's statement stuck with Michener.

"Hammering the rusty nails gave it a shock to remind it that its job is to produce apples."

Michener relates that in the 1980's, when he was nearly 80, he had some "nails" hammered into his "trunk"—heart surgery, vertigo, a new hip.

Like the apple tree, Michener made the decision that these adversities would not hold him back, but would be the catalyst to producing healthy fruit through the written word.

Have you had any "nails" pounded into your life? I mean, have you had any circumstances that have caused you to wonder where God is?

No one is exempt from "life."

Nails changed the course of history when they were placed in hands of the Story Teller. And nails can change the course of your life...

What do you think?