THE WAITING GAME

Without resorting to a fairy tale crystal ball or an undercover team of spies to look in on Seeker Villagers, I think I’m safe in assuming that there’s something in your writing-related world that you are waiting on right this very minute.

Am I seeing nods of agreement? Raised hands? Maybe you’re thinking there seems to be #NOLIMITS on the length of time something is taking?

Waiting, as defined by Webster’s, is “to stay in place in expectation of.” And what is expectation? Anticipation. The act of looking forward to something. Maybe you’ve been waiting for only a few weeks. Maybe months. Or even years.

- Waiting to receive feedback from a valued critique partner

- Waiting with bated breath to see if you placed in a contest that may put your manuscript on an editor’s desk

- Waiting to hear from yet another potential agent if he/she will take you on

- Waiting for a response from a much-admired editor on a book idea, proposal or completed manuscript

- Waiting for an opportunity to quit your day job for a part-time one or to write full time

Waiting, for most of us, is a BIG part of a writer’s life. And just as soon as the waiting is over on one thing, another waiting period begins on something else.

It’s during these times of waiting that it can get a little uncomfortable, can’t it? We get impatient. Doubts and fears raise ugly heads. Discouragement and weariness may set in. It might be tempting to give up. Why is it taking so long?

If there’s one thing I’m learning in life, it’s that God often allows uncomfortable situations. And he’s used (and is using!) the “waiting game” ones to reveal to me weaknesses in my character when I’m caught trying to pray away what God is allowing in order to grow my faith, perseverance and obedience. To discipline my thoughts, increasingly establish good time management skills, and curb envy when things seemingly come more quickly and easily for others. Just as prematurely prying a butterfly from its chrysalis will permanently damage its ability to fly, so can attempting to rush ahead of God’s timing harm and hinder his perfect plan for us.

But believing “harder,” isn’t what faith is all about. It’s not a way to twist God’s arm to get what you want when you want it. I’ve heard it said that faith is the hand that stretches out to receive what God chooses to give us.

While it’s wise to make plans, sometimes we can be so focused on what we want to do or want to have happen on down the road that we’re wearing ourselves out, becoming complacent, and not taking care of what we CAN do today during our time of waiting. God didn’t give the Israelites a week’s worth of manna. No, he gave enough for a single day. Which tells us quite a bit about his intentions for us. Take one day at a time.

Sometimes, in retrospect, we may very well discover that during those times of waiting we were camped mere inches away from our “promised land.” If we’d have given up, we’d never have crossed that border.

In looking back, I am extremely thankful that God used waiting time to vastly improve my writing skills and enable me to better understand critical elements of “Story.” There was so much I thought I knew--the story looked good to ME--but I didn’t have a clue. While Indie opportunities may look like a quick solution to escaping the waiting game, don’t use that as a shortcut to prematurely escape your butterfly chrysalis!

As an unpublished writer, I placed these words in a frame on my desk.

And you know what? Although I’ve been published six years and am working on my 11^th contracted book, I STILL have that framed reminder sitting on my desk. I still have dreams that haven’t been fulfilled.

I long to write more than two books a year and to move up in the Love Inspired series line-up to reach more readers. I’d like to join other Seekers in a Christmas novella collection and have time to judge writing contests and return a favor other published authors gave me when I was a struggling beginner. I dream of a better work-life balance that frees up more time for family, friends, church and community. And ever since I was a teenager, I’ve dreamed of writing full time.

But in the meantime, I do what I CAN do. Today. And trust that God is working behind the scenes as he gives me the grace for whatever season I find myself in.

God gives us dreams. He answers prayers. Is there any guarantee that every prayer will be a “yes”? Life has proven that’s not the case. But so very, very often God has answered my prayers the way I’d hoped—and beyond!—and he couldn’t have done that if I’d given up, stopped believing.

Share with us today, what YOU are waiting for. What is the hardest part of that for you right now? What steps are you taking to actively wait in anticipation? What writing-related dreams have you seen fulfilled?

To celebrate the October debut of my “Hearts of Hunter Ridge” series (on the shelves now!), I’m giving away a $25 Amazon Gift Card to one lucky winner. And, to three winners, a copy of “Rekindling the Widower’s Heart.” If you’re interested, please mention it in the comments section--then check the Weekend Edition to see if you won!

Glynna

GLYNNA KAYE treasures memories of growing up in small Midwestern towns--and vacations spent with the Texan side of the family. She traces her love of storytelling to the times a houseful of great-aunts and great-uncles gathered with her grandma to share candid, heartwarming, poignant and often humorous tales of their youth and young adulthood. Her Love Inspired books Pine Country Cowboy and High Country Holiday won first and second place, respectively, in the 2015 RWA Faith, Hope & Love Inspirational Reader’s Choice Awards.

A Future to Build On - All widower Luke Hunter wants is to raise his three kids—and be left alone. When Delaney Marks arrives in town to oversee the youth group's house renovation project, Luke decides he must come out of hiding. He's worried she's too young to get the job done. He'll have to keep a close watch on her—and on his heart. Because being with the vibrant girl makes it easy to forget their age difference and to start hoping for a future he doesn't deserve. As tensions rise over project pressures, Delaney tries to make Luke see that some things are just out of his control—and that he is worthy of happiness...with her.