What can I say?

When I was 2 — long, long ago, back in the time of caves, when dinosaurs ruled the earth and parents left children in cars — my sister (a fresh plumpy newborn) and I were left in the back of our Humber car while our parents popped out — just for a second.

When they left us, I was sitting on the back seat, and my sister was in the carrycot.

When they came back, I was in the carrycot and my sister was on the floor.

So it was only a matter of time before I took further revenge on my three little sisters . . . and wrote a shocking exposé.

It’s called How To Be A Baby By Me The Big Sister.

Actually, when I say I wrote it — that’s not strictly true. I started out wri…

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I used to think my self-doubt and insecurity about writing were signs of my profound humility. It felt noble and heroic to be this full of agonizing self-doubt. It felt lowly and meek to be so tortured about whether or not I could write. I could almost hear the soundtrack and the violins. If there'd been open, windswept moors nearby, I'd have been on them.

But that's the thing about pride. It hides itself.

The more I go on, the more I realize, it's entirely the other way round. Our self-doubt and insecurity don't reveal our humility; they mask our pride.

When you’re doubting whether you can do it, whether you're a good writer, you're looking to yourself, what you can do, what resources…

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When I go into churches and speak to children I ask them two questions:

First, how many people here sometimes think you have to be good for God to love you?

They tentatively raise their hands. I raise my hand along with them.

And second, how many people here sometimes think that if you aren’t good, God will stop loving you?

They look around and again raise their hands.

These are children in Sunday schools who know the Bible stories. These are children who probably also know all the right answers — and yet they have somehow missed the most important thing of all.

They have missed what the Bible is all about.

They are children like I once was.

As a child, even though I wa…

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