Who enjoys the waiting? Anyone? I am the WORST. So impatient. Not so much cantankerous and crabby, more anxious and antsy. As a human being, this is unbecoming and as a writer, this is downright disastrous. However, now that I find myself on the other side of one major writerly waiting game, I can look back and see why it’s vital to find joy in the journey and wonder in the waiting…
Whether we are waiting on a medical diagnosis, a job interview, or for the two-year-old to grow out the “terrible twos” already, we all seem to be in a perpetual existence of waiting. Straining our necks to see the next chapter, always wanting to be further along, counting the days down until the next vacation, having the kids all home (empty nesters), having the kids all leave (mommies of terrible twos or angsty teens), counting the shopping days until Christmas (it’s a thing.)
What if we started counting our blessings rather than counting the days?
It changes everything, doesn’t it? Always, when our hearts are filled with gratitude, the grappling for more or sooner or when or why subsides. Faith replaces fear and adoration replaces anxiety. The gift of a new day is suddenly precious and next week, next month, next year pales in significance when we have the blessings of NOW.
So why specifically “wonder” in the waiting? Other than the fact that it starts with a “w” and I’m all about alliteration(!) I think there’s something exciting and expectant in the word “wonder”. I think of a child, wide-eyed, in awe, amazed. How often we bury that sense of wonder in our stressful, busy, responsible adulthood and miss out on delighting in the daily!
Can I share my latest “waiting victory” in my writing world? I just signed a contract for a THREE-BOOK DEAL! The Glass Bottom Boat will be my first Christian romantic suspense novel with Anaiah Press and I am thrilled to bits. But this adventure has stretched my paper-thin patience to the limit. The book publishing world is notoriously slow as molasses, but I originally wrote the novel manuscript in 2013.
Five. Long, Years. Since then, it’s been sent to numerous publishers, rejected, revised, signed by an agent, revised again, sent to even more publishers, and then “released” from said agent. (Insert pity party for a whole 10 minutes before I got back up on that literary horse.) Two weeks later, I pitched my battered little manuscript on Twitter (#FaithPitch) where it was picked up by an editor, and her publishing house offered me a 3-book deal. It all happened in a matter of days.
“I don’t think the way you think. The way you work isn’t the way I work.” God’s Decree.
“For as the sky soars high above earth, so the way I work surpasses the way you work,
and the way I think is beyond the way you think.” Isaiah 55:8-9 (MSG)
All this to say, quite frankly, it wasn’t the journey I would have chosen, but it was God’s journey for me and my book. His timing is always perfect. Sometimes we see that in hindsight and sometimes we just have to trust. I, for one, tend to forget how big and powerful and sovereign God is. I pray about stuff (usually with some “helpful” suggestions to the Almighty) and expect to hear back ASAP. Anxiety abounds when I dare to take things into my own hands:
“There is peace for the one who knows there is no bargaining with the God of the universe.” Lore Wilbert
As a writer, I learned early on that when you submit your precious book-baby, magazine manuscript, or online article into the big, wide world you LET IT GO. Leave it with the Lord. You move on to the next writing project and you put your heart and soul into that. You take courses, attend conferences, live your life to the fullest whilst finding joy and wonder in the craft.
Likewise, in other areas of life, we get to give our worries or requests or whatever our thing is to the Lord, and then we have the opportunity to make the most of every single day in the meantime—growing, learning, listening, loving, even marveling in the mundane moments.
If you are in a season of waiting, friend, know that you are not waiting alone. There is One who never leaves or forsakes us, never slumbers nor sleeps. He will answer in His perfect timing and he will walk through that answer with you. And in the meantime, would you seek out ways to find wonder in the waiting? Count your blessings, dig into the Word, revel in the beauty of creation, find sweet fellowship with others, adore God deeply.
Fill the waiting time with Him. Not a minute will be wasted.
Always a work in progress,
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Linking up with some fabulous encouragers! Check them out:
This is a great one for me Laura! Lots of love, Mr. Impatient (aka Dad xx)
Haha! Thanks, Dad— I guess the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree! 🙂 Enjoy!
Sorry if you get my comment twice but it doesn’t seem to be posting. Your words were a gift to me today. Waiting is hard work. I thought I was pretty good at it until I wanted something IMMEDIATELY like for God to answer the deep desires of my heart. Blessed to be your neighbor over at the Ra Ra linkup this week.
Hey Tara—thanks so much for stopping by from RaRa! (It’s all good, just got the comment once.) Yes, waiting is definitely hard work. Patience and faith and finding joy in the meantime are all part of the process… I certainly need the reminder to make much of every day while I wait! Thanks for your encouragement, it’s so appreciated. Blessings to you! 🙂
Congratulations on your book deal! What a great accomplishment, including the 5 years working on patience!! Waiting is so difficult! I can so identify since I’m incredibly impatient. I have learned though, that God is faithful and when it seems He is not working, He is. His plan is best and the only way we get to it is through His timing. 🙂
Thanks so much, Christi! ? Waiting is never easy (especially for some of us!) but yes, God is always working… even in the waiting. Thanks for sharing— blessings to you!
Thanks Laura. I’m preaching on Sunday about Sarah, my ‘waiting hero’. But it’s true for all of us. God’s timing is hard to trust. Thanks for your insight and congratulations on the book deal!
Thanks so much, Christine! It was worth the wait 😉 I hope your preach goes well… Sarah did her fair share of waiting, for sure. Blessings to you!
I feel like I am constantly waiting on something in life, so I am learning to let it go and have peace. Congrats on the book deal!
Thanks so much, Sarah! Oh, I hear you. Seems there is literally always something hanging over us, always in waiting mode… but yes, giving it all over to God is the only way to have real peace and contentment in the “now”. Blessings to you 🙂
Congratulations, Laura! What an amazing opportunity and testimony. I can so relate.. it took me 5 years to write my book, then, I was turned down a few times and decided to self-publish. Then only 9 months later, the book got picked up by a publishing house, several revisions and rewrites, with a new slant and a new direction and now it is to be released this summer – August 21 !!! Woo Hoo… and I don’t know much about the fiction timeline, but for me, with my non-fiction book it took 18-months from signed contract to book release date – and the waiting has been hard, but oh so full of wonder! We are neighbors today over at #FreshFridayMarket Again, Congratulations. I look forward to reading your first book and then the other 2 that follow.
PS.. if you are looking for another place to link to on Thursday’s I would love if you would consider joining my linkup #TuneInThursday – it opens Thursday 3am PST and runs through Sunday night. you can find it at debbiekitterman.com/blog (Please feel free to delete the link if you think it inappropriate).
PSS… we are also neighbor are at #FaithOnFire today too 🙂
Haha! We clearly run in the same circles… ?
Thanks so much, Debbie! Wow, your publishing story is quite something! How wonderful for you, I’ll be looking out for your book this summer. Thanks for sharing, it’s always fascinating to hear how different everyone’s book journey really is. And yes, I have absolutely linked up with you at #TuneInThursday, thanks for the invite 🙂 Blessings to you in this last little stretch of waiting…!
Congratulations, Laura! I’ve yet to dip my toe into the book-writing world, so I admire the courage of those of you who do! May the Lord continue to work through your words and bless many as you weave stories into this world.
Thanks so much, Lisa! It’s an interesting journey, for sure, and always such a privilege to be able to share my faith— especially through fiction. I appreciate your encouragement, friend— blessings to you! 🙂
I’m so excited for you, Laura! And WOW, what a journey it was!I have never heard of #FaithPitch. Love it! You are one of my featured writers for this week’s #MomentsofHope!
Blessings and smiles,
Lori
Thanks so much, Lori— wow, I’m thrilled to be featured! ? Hope it will be an encouragement to others in the waiting… blessings to you!
Congratulations Laura! Your story is such an encouragement and a testimony to trusting in God’s timing inspite of the hurdles and disappointments. So happy for you!
Thanks so much, Crystal! It’s been quite the journey but God is so good— always! Blessings to you 🙂