by Henry McLaughlin @RiverBendSagas
How many of us have ever prayed along the lines of: Lord, fill me with Your patience. NOW? I think we all have in one form or another. We have a dream, a desire, a goal and it feels like it’s never going to happen.
Henry’s debut novel, Journey to Riverbend, won the 2009 Operation First Novel contest.
He serves as Associate Director of North Texas Christian Writers.
Henry edits novels, leads critique groups, and teaches at conferences and workshops. He enjoys mentoring and coaching individual writers.
Connect with Henry on his blog, Twitter and Facebook.
There
is a scene in Star Wars, Episode IV, where Luke is attacking the Death Star,
about to drop a bomb down a chute to the core of the weapon. His wing commander
tells him, “Wait for it. Wait for it.
Did
you know the Lord tells us basically the same thing? In Habakkuk 2:2 – 3 (NLT)
the prophet writes:
Then the Lord said to me, “Write my answer plainly on tablets, so that a
runner can carry the correct message to others. This vision is for a future time. It describes
the end, and it will be fulfilled. If it seems slow in coming, wait
patiently, for it will
surely take place. It will not
be delayed.
How many of us have ever prayed along the lines of: Lord, fill me with Your patience. NOW? I think we all have in one form or another. We have a dream, a desire, a goal and it feels like it’s never going to happen.
I
discovered this verse nearly twenty years ago when I was believing for a job
with a large ministry. And believing. And believing. And believing. I had made
sure to write my goals based on the call God placed on my life at that season.
Submitted applications but the call for an interview seemed like it would never
come. The Lord did open the door for me—just not the one I had planned—and I
worked for the ministry for ten years.
 |
| God has a call for each of us, an ultimate plan. |
I do
believe God has a call for each of us, an ultimate plan He wants us to live
out. But He can’t always simply thrust us into that dream. We need to grow into
it, we need to be prepared for promotion, for the work we will have to do to
achieve all He wants us to accomplish. When I look back over my life, I see how
each place I had in ministry, each job I had in the world, prepared me for the
next step in God’s plan.
Now I
can see how each position and place prepared me to write the words he gives me,
words to minister hope, reconciliation, redemption, and restoration.
And I
can see how He tried to develop patience in me. I didn’t always cooperate with Him. Sometimes, I still don’t. To be patient—to wait for it—is really a test of
faith. Do I trust Him enough to do what He tells me, which is write, and trust He will find the best way to get my words to the readers? Patience really asks—
Do I
trust His timing?
God is
never late. He’s never early either. He’s always right on time. But His time is
not always my time.
Do I
trust Him enough to believe his promise “…it will surely take place. It will
not be delayed…”?
How do
you handle those times when it seems like your dream will never arrive?
TWEETABLES
He serves as Associate Director of North Texas Christian Writers.
Henry edits novels, leads critique groups, and teaches at conferences and workshops. He enjoys mentoring and coaching individual writers.
Connect with Henry on his blog, Twitter and Facebook.
Good blog and great advice for all of us.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Vickie.
DeleteSo true! I remember waiting and waiting for a publisher to snatch up my book. Thank goodness it wasn't published any earlier--I would now be embarrassed if it had. God knew my writing needed seasoning. :-)
ReplyDeleteAmen, Patricia. I love how he can be so patient with us if we are willing to be patient with him.
DeleteGood words of encouragement. A writing life includes a lot of waiting. Waiting to grow. Waiting for opportunity. Waiting for inspired content... On and on it goes. Only when we have God's perspective on who is setting the pace can waiting be a productive and peaceful part of the process.
ReplyDeleteThat is so true, Ginger. Thanks for sharing.
DeleteThank you for the encouragement. I tell my son, "Our last minute is God's perfect timing." I confess, waiting is hard at times.
ReplyDeleteWaiting on his timing and rolling the care of it over on him are lessons it took me a while to learn. Thankfully, he is so patient with me.
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