What an absolute honour to have received the inaugural David Mainse Best Blog of The Year Award last week at the Word Guild’s annual Word Awards.
David Mainse carved a fearless path in media, understanding that whatever tools we could use to reach people with the gospel was worth using. For more than half a century, the Reverend David Mainse, founder of Crossroads Christian Communications Inc. and YES TV, used television and other media to reach as many people as he could around the nation. David began a blog later in his life, on where he made a commitment to lead his blog readers on a two-year journey through the Bible
In 2012, after his cancer diagnosis doctors predicted he would live for two more years. It was then that Rev. Mainse made this commitment to the 100 Words blog. Each morning Rev. Mainse would wake up at 4am to pray and ask God for fresh writing inspiration for the day’s post, he never missed a day.
David, set an example of what it meant to lay religion aside and present the simple message of Jesus. David once said in an interview, “We are not presenting a doctrine, definitely not a denomination, We are presenting Jesus and people are open to Jesus.”
Millions of people around our world are tormented by mental illness and religion has hurt more than it has helped. It takes devoted writers like David, to speak truth and blogging is a powerful tool to reach those in isolation and darkness.
I will never forget the moment that I was commissioned by God to reach those lost in mental illness. It was not on a church stage or in a ceremony but I was commissioned in the midst of my suffering.
I knew I needed to go to our small group study that day. I had my shoes on and the kids in the car. As soon as I tried to step out of the house, I couldn’t go through with it. My anxiety was overtaking me and my OCD was screaming at me to stay home and hide. I told my husband I just couldn’t do it, like I had many times before. He drove to the end of the block when something in me said that I NEEDED to go! I texted him back to pick me up.
I sat in our pastors home, shaking, frail, pale and despondent, when worship began to bring me a desperate place. In my heart I was crying to God. “Please Lord, set me free! I can’t take this anymore!”
In that moment, I heard Jesus speak to me clearer than I ever had.
“Sarah, Do you see? Do you see how my people suffer?”
“Yes Lord, I see.” I cried out in my spirit.
It was in that brief exchange that I knew that this was bigger than myself. I wasn’t healed in that moment but I was commissioned to see past my own torment and to have compassion for and to help those who were also suffering. In the midst of my darkness I received purpose.
As a mom of five in a small Alberta town, there are not many stages to speak from or opportunities to grab but I could blog.
This award is confirmation of my calling and will forever fuel me to continue what God has called me to do.
My advice to aspiring bloggers and writers who feel called to reach those that Jesus sees, is to leave religion and denomination out of it. Just present Jesus to a hurting world because people are open to Jesus.
Thank you to Rev. Mainse’s legacy and Family, the Word Guild for presenting me with this award, it means more than you know.
This is a copy of my acceptance speech in Hamilton, Ontario at the Word Guild’s Word Awards June 2019.
