When Editors Edit
Have you ever tried to say something and however hard you tried to get it
right, it came out badly? I wanted to say something and wrote it out very
carefully. The subject was a complicated one and had presented difficulties for
a lot of people over a long time. My illustration was a simple idea on how it
could be more easily understood.
Nothing was embellished or emphasised because that was left to the reader’s
imagination. My thoughts were straight but they were stark and came out as cold
and unattractive.
The Editor took it and worked his magic. He made minor alterations, a full stop
here, a brief explanatory note there and then points of emphasis to illuminate
contrasts.
The thoughts were still mine, nothing was fundamentally changed, but everything
was changed! It flowed like a broad river instead of a clogged stream, eloquent
instead of elementary. It still looked like all my own work but it wasn’t really
because I was just an inarticulate amateur.
When it was published, it was a skilled presentation for the whole world to see.
I could walk tall but in reality, somebody else let me claim all the credit for
his skill and he made me look very, very good.
And you know what? That is exactly what the Holy Spirit does for each of us when
we present ourselves to God. Listen:
“We do not even know how we ought to pray, but through our inarticulate
groans the Spirit himself is pleading for us, and God who searches our inmost
being knows what the Spirit means.” (Romans
8:26,27).
Our Editor, the Holy Spirit, gives us all the credit and He makes us look very,
very good when we talk to the Lord of the universe.
Elizabeth Price