Delayed Reaction

Delayed Reaction - M. Laycock

I’m a delayed reaction kind of person. I seem to take things in all in one swoop, but it takes a while before anything comes back out. It’s often weeks before my will, emotions, and brain kick in and something results. This was particularly frustrating when I was in school and the quick-witted would make fun of me or maliciously attack. The words that would come days later were equal to the enemy both in cynicism and cruelty. I’m glad, now, that they were never uttered.

This delayed reaction thing is also frustrating as a writer. I have just spent ten days traveling to Greece and Israel, touring sites from Mars Hill to the Temple Mount. The days were full of stunning sites and moments that literally caused me to gasp. There were also some moments that caused me to moan. But as I sit down to write about them, there seems to be a block. It's like the photo I've posted here - the thoughts and feelings are there but when I reach for them there are things in the way. The experience hasn't settled deeply enough yet. I know it will take time and I must be patient. Rushing into it will result in writing that is half-baked and shallow. Yet if I wait too long, the power and punch will be gone. Timing is everything.

And that’s where I have to rely on God. I ask Him to give me the words, and to nudge me at the right moment, when those words are ready to be put on a page. In the meantime I content myself with jottings as the images come back and the emotions are resurrected. I sort my photos and skim my journal. And wait.