A Season of Waiting by Susan Barclay

According to statistics provided by The Fact Site, the average person spends five years of her life waiting in lines, and roughly six months of that time is waiting at traffic lights. Those numbers don't include other types of waiting - things like waiting for your date at a prearranged location, waiting for a concert to begin, or waiting for your teen's brain develop.

Waiting in line

Waiting is hard. Just ask Noah and his family, who waited 40 days and nights for it to stop raining. Or Sarah, who was 90 or 91 before her son Isaac was born. Or the Israelites, who had to wait 40 years to enter the promised land. In the latter two examples, waiting was a consequence of sin - Sarah doubted God; the Israelites disobeyed Him. But waiting isn't always a result of God's punishment. His thoughts are higher than our thoughts; His ways are higher than our ways; His timing is perfect.

Still, waiting is hard. I know this because I'm currently in a waiting season. I'm waiting for my mom to regain her strength and get her health sorted out so she can move back into her own home if the Lord wills. I'm waiting for life to resume some semblance of normalcy and routine so I can get my writing back on track. Speaking of writing, I'm waiting to find out if I won or placed in a contest I entered back in the spring. 

I'm waiting for a construction project at my husband's work to wrap up so we can grab a week off for a much-needed break. I'm also waiting for a chance to go shopping for a new mattress and for an opportunity to "have at" decluttering in earnest. But the most important thing I'm waiting for is a change in prodigal hearts. That one is tough, as anyone who's been in my shoes can attest.

So, what is God asking me to do, and what is my response to Him in this season of waiting? I believe He's asking me to draw close, to pray and read His Word, to grow in trust and personal relationship, to hear His voice, to believe and know that He is good, to develop perseverance, to rejoice and give thanks. My response is yes, Lord, to all of the above! In that yes, He gives peace that passes understanding and proves Himself the God of all comfort. And because I know that He loves me, that He sees and He cares, I can rest in His promises. "He causes everything to work together
for the good of those who love [Him] and are called according to His purpose for them" (Romans 8:28, italics mine). 

Nothing I'm going through or waiting for is a surprise to Him. Therefore, "Let all that I am wait quietly before God, for my hope is in Him" (Psalm 62:5).

Sleep well as you wait, friends. God is good, all the time.
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You can find out more about Susan Barclay's writing at www.susan-barclay.blogspot.com

Chance or God's Perfect Timing? By Ruth L. Snyder

As I write this blog post, our InScribe Fall Conference is less than two weeks away. Robert Burns said, "The best laid plans of mouse and men often go astray." The committee received notification on Thursday that one of our workshop leaders will not be able to attend conference or present a workshop, due to health issues. I had the natural human reaction - panic. After my mind started racing through all the "what if"s, I stopped and prayed. After all, if I say I believe God is always in control, and His plan is always best, then He obviously has an answer for every dilemma.

 

 I enrolled in Chandler Bolt's Self Publishing School several weeks ago. Minutes after I started praying, I received an email that said, "This training session isn't officially part of Self-Publishing School. Instead it's my gift to you for taking action and committing to your success." The free training was a webinar on the exact subject the workshop leader was scheduled to present about—something I've explored before, and was planning to dig into further. Long story short, I will be presenting the workshop.

Chance, or God's perfect timing? Throughout my life I have experienced many of these incidents that continue to remind me of God's loving hand in my life.

My husband and I had been discussing adoption for a few months. We looked into options, requested information from adoption agencies, and prayed for God's guidance. The night we sat down to fill out an application with Adoption Options, we received a phone call from our sister-in-law. Her sister wanted us to adopt her 8-month-old baby. The phone call came on a Thursday; we were asked to pick up the baby the next Monday. That is how our oldest daughter, Grace, joined our family. The day this post goes live just happens to be her 20th birthday.

On the more humorous side, last week I drove into Edmonton to pick up boxes of InScribe's newest anthology, Christmas: Stories & More. About half way home I noticed the gas tank was getting close to the quarter tank mark. I checked the "distance to empty" and figured out I should be able to get back to Glendon to fill up, with about 20 kilometers to spare. (When I filled up that morning, gas was less than a dollar a litre, but everywhere else it was at least $1.05/litre.) I knew there were at least two gas stations between where I was and the gas station in Glendon. When I passed the first gas station, I checked again and everything was right on track. Then, I went past the second gas station. The gauge seemed to be going down faster, but I figured I would still make it. When I was 16 kilometers from Glendon, the "distance to empty" also said 16. That's when I started to pray. "Lord, help me to make it to the gas station, please. I know I should have filled up before, but it's too late now." I reached the 8 kilometer mark, and now the gauge said the tank would be empty in two kilometers. I kept driving and praying, thinking about who I knew along the road in case the van stopped. The "distance to empty" read zero, and I still had six kilometers to go. I kept praying, and driving. Somehow, the van made it, not just to Glendon, but also to the gas station. After I filled up, the "distance to empty" was 638 kilometers. I had driven 674 kilometers. I'm so glad God had mercy, despite my foolish decision. But I have also decided I will fill up when the gas tank is no lower than a quarter tank from now on!

Have you experienced God's perfect timing in your life? I'd love to hear your stories. Please share in the comments below, and let's praise God together!

Every day is a new adventure for Ruth, her husband, Kendall, and their five children. Sometimes those adventures are self-inflicted!

Ruth is on a mission to help creative people live their passion. You can find out more about Ruth's adventures and RLS Creativity at http://ruthlsnyder.com

When the Words Don't Line Up - by Tandy Balson

Most of the writing I do is short meditations/devotions or creative nonfiction.  Everyday life gives me inspiration for my topics.  Even so, the words are not always there when I want them.  Sometimes the seed of an idea needs time to mature and blossom into something I can write about.  There doesn’t seem to be an effective way to rush this process.

I’ve only been writing seriously for a little over three years.  When I started, my husband encouraged me to take pictures of anything that interested me.  He said that I may not know what to do with them right away but they may be useful prompts down the road.  How right he was!

More than once I have scrolled through the file of pictures on my computer and gained inspiration for one of my stories.  I like to add a picture to my blog posts and find my cache of pictures often fills this need as well.

That being said, things don’t always line up the way I’d like.  An initial idea may be there along with a few good thoughts to go with it.  The challenge is often the ability to word things in a way that points the reader to a closer relationship with the Lord of the universe.

At times like this, I’ve learned to save my work as a draft and put it aside.  When the timing is right, the Lord will give me the words he wants me to use.  I must always remember that it is not my words I want to share, but his.  They should be as a prayer that glorifies him.

Recently I discovered a prayer written early in the last century that sums up my feelings.   Unfortunately the author is unknown.

“Lord of the universe, how I wish I had the words to fashion beautiful prayers to praise Thee!  But alas, I cannot find these words.  So listen to me O God, as I recite the letters of the alphabet.  You know what I think and how I feel.  Take these letters of the alphabet and YOU form the words that express the yearning, the love for Thee in my heart!”

www.timewithtandy.com  

Plugging in to the Lord by Glynis M. Belec

 I don’t need re-energizing; I just need more hours in a day. I suppose that sounds a bit rebellious given the impressive prompt and the beautiful works of words that I have been reading about where a depleted writer can go to be refreshed or what he can do to charge his batteries. 

How I long for that little cabin in the woods (with wifi, flush toilets and hydro, of course) where I could just be free to pour my heart onto the page. Okay, I would settle for days – no hours at my computer without a million interruptions. Just having some quantity of time would be sufficient.

This is starting to sound a bit like a tirade or an opportunity to complain or to seek pity. Really it’s not. God is at the helm. I know it and I can feel it. Just because I am not getting what I want doesn’t mean that I am not rejoicing.

The more I think about it, though, the more I am realizing that God is providing me with plenty of writing and speaking fodder. So in actual fact, He is recharging me moment by moment.

Today I will be speaking to a group of 55 women about the shift from daughter to caregiver; from dreamer to writer; from cancer sufferer to survivor.

God allowed circumstances to happen. He was preparing me for His purpose. Maybe the time isn’t right to write about it, but today the time is right to speak about it. So I will forge on with joy in my heart, a smile on my face and a sincerity that can only come from focussing on the Lord. I find when I do that, God opens my eyes to all the wonderful things that are going on around me.

I know God has some great things in store in my writing. I’m trusting His timing. He’s never let me down yet. 

                                                        

For still the vision awaits its appointed time; it hastens to the end—it will not lie. If it seems slow, wait for it; it will surely come; it will not delay. Habakkuk 2:3

                               Glynis       

                                            

A Matter of Timing - Marcia Lee Laycock

Last week I watched two full grown geese land on a small pond across from my home. It was quite funny to watch, because the pond was frozen. The geese gracefully flapped their wings and extended their feet, anticipating the landing, but when they touched down they skidded sideways and plopped down unceremoniously on their bottoms. When they recovered they stomped about, seeming indignant.

When I saw them stomping around on the ice it made me think of those times when I’ve been impatient with God’s timing. It often seems that He isn’t in sync. with my estimation of when things should happen. Give me patience, Lord. Right now!

But His timing is always perfect. When my new novel, One Smooth Stone won the Best New Canadian Christian Author Award, I was thrilled that it would soon be in print. Then I discovered that the word, ‘soon’ is relative. There was a delay because the publisher wanted a certain editor to work with me, and she was busy with other projects. Then there was a bit of miscommunication and I was waiting for her while she was waiting for me to get in touch. Then, when it was finally begun, the editing process took time. But finally my publisher told me the books were ready to ship. I waited - impatiently - for them to arrive on my doorstep. The book launch was to be held on the first night of a writers’ conference and, of course, I wanted the books in hand for that event. I was thankful when they arrived, safe and sound, a few days before the scheduled launch.

I remember lifting the first book out of the box. I knew exactly where it was going. I gave it to my friend – I’ll call her Barb.

Barb has had a hard life – her husband left her with four small children to raise and no resources. The family struggled through. Then one of Barb’s daughters, I’ll call her Lucy, was raped when she was a teenager. Though Barb managed to hold on to her faith in Christ, Lucy has been bitter and angry with God ever since. The day after my books arrived, Barb gave that copy of One Smooth Stone to Lucy. A few days later she got a phone call.

Lucy told her that she had had no intention of reading the book – she’d thought, oh yeah, there goes Mom with the religious stuff again. But that next day she got the flu and the only thing she had in the house to read was my book. So she picked it up and started to read. She said she couldn’t put it down. When she called her mom she was in tears because she said that after reading the book, she finally believed God does still love her, in spite of everything.

The timing was perfect. God’s timing. Not mine. Next time I get impatient I’ll try and remember how ridiculous those geese looked, stomping around on solid ice.

A Matter of Timing - M. Laycock

Last week I watched two full grown geese land on a small pond across from my home. It was quite funny to watch, because the pond was still frozen. The geese gracefully flapped their wings and extended their feet, anticipating the landing, but when they touched down they skidded sideways and plopped down unceremoniously on their bottoms. When they recovered they stomped about, seeming indignant.

When I saw them stomping around on the ice it made me think of those times when I’ve been impatient with God’s timing. It often seems that He isn’t in sync. with my estimation of when things should happen. Give me patience, Lord. Right now!

But His timing is always perfect. When my new novel, One Smooth Stone won the Best New Canadian Christian Author Award, I was thrilled that it would soon be in print. Then I discovered that the word, ‘soon’ is relative. There was a delay because the publisher wanted a certain editor to work with me, and she was busy with other projects. Then there was a bit of miscommunication and I was waiting for her while she was waiting for me to get in touch. Then, when it was finally begun, the editing process took time. But finally my publisher told me the books were ready to ship. I waited - impatiently - for them to arrive on my doorstep. The book launch was to be held on the first night of Inscribe’s Fall Conference and, of course, I wanted the books in hand for that event. I was thankful when they arrived, safe and sound, a few days before the scheduled launch.

I remember lifting the first book out of the box. I knew exactly where it was going. I gave it to my friend – I’ll call her Barb.

Barb has had a hard life – her husband left her with four small kids to raise and no resources. The family struggled through. Then one of Barb’s daughters, I’ll call her Lucy, was raped. Though Barb managed to hold on to her faith in Christ, Lucy has been bitter and angry with God ever since. The day after my books arrived, Barb gave that copy to Lucy. A few days later she got a phone call.

Lucy told her that she had had no intention of reading the book – she’d thought, oh yeah, there goes mom with the religious stuff again. But that next day she got the flu and the only thing she had in the house to read was my book. So she picked it up and started to read. She said she couldn’t put it down. When she called her mom she was in tears because she said that after reading the book, she finally believed God does still love her, in spite of everything.

The timing was perfect. God’s timing. Not mine. Next time I get impatient I’ll try and remember how ridiculous those geese looked, stomping around on solid ice.

The Voice Behind You - Violet Nesdoly

Your ears shall hear a word behind you saying, "This is the way, walk in it," whenever you turn to the right hand or whenever you turn to the left.

- Isaiah 30:21 NKJV

I'm always wanting guidance - wanting to know what the next step is before I take it. This verse is interesting in that it implies God guides from behind: "Your ears will hear a word behind you..."? How does that work?

There are forks in the road. Do we go right or left? This verse seems to say we simply make a decision, take the steps and listen for the 'word behind us.' Seems like a good description of the life of faith.

I've experienced this. Sometimes I've taken on writing assignments for the simple fact that I've finished the last project and this one came along at just that time. There were no prophetic words, voices or holy thrills - not even a scripture verse on which to hang my hat. Not uncommonly I'll question whether I've made the right decision, especially when the writing gets tough or the piece gets turned down. Later, much later sometimes, I'll get confirmation that the project was a 'God thing' (it finally gets accepted, I get an email or note from someone saying it blessed them, it wins a prize, gets republished).

As far as I can see, this hearing the voice of confirmation behind us is the way we live our Christian lives most of the time.

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Drop by Bible Drive-Thru - a blog of daily devotions for kids. Spread the word to kids you know!

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.