From Edie: Discover how “persistent patience” can transform your writing life. This devotional encourages writers to trust God’s timing, grow through creative delays, and find purpose in the waiting moments that shape both faith and craft.
Persistent Patience for Writers: Trusting God’s Timing in Your Creative Journey
By Edie Melson @EdieMelson
Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him; do not fret when men succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes. Ps 37:7
I heard the phrase, persistent patience, several years ago and it stuck with me. Patience, to me, has always seemed like a passive endeavor. Truthfully, I equated times of waiting with wasted time—especially when it comes to writing. Turns out nothing could be farther from the truth.
God is at work in the waiting.
That’s a difficult concept for me. I don’t know about you, but waiting patiently isn’t in my top ten of favorite things to do. I hate being patient, whatever it is—I want it, and I want it now. I particularly struggle with waiting when I’m writing. I look for ways to hurry things up and that leads me to look around to judge if others have had to wait for something similar. Then that leads directly to comparison and competition and ultimately dissatisfaction. It’s a vicious cycle and a hard one to break.
I would like to say this impatience is due to the time in which I live and the environment around me. After all, we live in a world of the instant now. How nice it would be to put the blame anywhere else but me. But God’s word shows us lots of impatient people throughout the Bible. I can’t honestly say it’s caused by anything except my human nature.
One thing God has shown me—over and over again—that it’s in the waiting where I grow closer to Him and stronger in my faith—and in my writing.Learning to wait has given me strength of character and perspective.
God has also shown me that impatience really is immaturity with a mask. So many times in my life, if God had given me the answer the moment I asked, I would have missed out on so much. I would have missed the sweet prayer time, the fellowship with others who shared in my journey, and the ultimate joy of something anticipated and achieved. I would have also missed out on being used by God to teach and comfort others as they saw Him work in my life.
What are you waiting for? Use this time to walk closer with God and watch the amazing things He does for you and through you!
TWEETABLE
Edie uses the truths God has taught her as an author, photographer, and blogger to encourage others. She’s learned to embrace the ultimate contradiction of being an organized creative. As a sought-after speaker, she’s empowered and challenged audiences across the country and around the world. Her numerous books reflect her passion to help others call on God’s strength during challenging times, often using creativity to empower this connection. She also knows the necessity of Soul Care and leads retreats, conferences, and workshops on ways to use creativity to help strengthen our connection with God.
She and husband Kirk have been married 43+ years with three grown sons and four grandchildren. They live in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains and can often be found with their big black dog hiking the mountains.
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