A Gift of Time
I didn’t blog last week. I got caught up in an answer to prayer—the return of some fictional characters that I’d given up on ever hearing from again. I’d accepted that perhaps I wasn’t meant to write fiction. Then the characters from one of the two novels I’d been trying unsuccessfully to write came knocking on my office door. Apparently, they didn’t feel they could trust me with their lives until I’d dealt with some issues in my own. Now that I’m headed in a healthy direction, they are giving me another chance. They even had a new plot to run by me. So of course, I had to take full advantage before they got tired of waiting around and bailed on me again.
Yesterday, I realized that I’d written almost 2,500 words in two days, in addition to outlining the new storyline earlier in the week. I announced my progress on Facebook and thanked God repeatedly. Then I realized something else—I was only able to spend so much time with my imaginary friends because God had denied another request.
For weeks I’ve been concerned about my lack of freelance work. Unusually, I’m juggling several assignments, or turn one in only to receive another. Instead I’m experiencing the slowest flow of requests that I can remember. My concern has been mixed with a strong sense that God is allowing it for a reason. I’ve had a chance to rest my tired mind and get some practical things done, like cleaning up the house, dealing with life, and enjoying end-of-the-school-year activities. The extra time allowed me to start blogging more often, which has been a long-time goal of mine. And if I’d had an assignment or two due last week, I would not have had time to respond when those characters returned, along with the creativity required to try fiction again.
I recognized this slow period as a gift of time from the One who knows how overwhelming life has been. A rather worn-out (in my opinion anyway) Christian cliché says, “Sometimes God says yes; sometimes He says no; and sometimes He says wait.” This week reminded me that sometimes He says no so He can say yes to something we’ve been waiting on Him for.
Yesterday, I realized that I’d written almost 2,500 words in two days, in addition to outlining the new storyline earlier in the week. I announced my progress on Facebook and thanked God repeatedly. Then I realized something else—I was only able to spend so much time with my imaginary friends because God had denied another request.
For weeks I’ve been concerned about my lack of freelance work. Unusually, I’m juggling several assignments, or turn one in only to receive another. Instead I’m experiencing the slowest flow of requests that I can remember. My concern has been mixed with a strong sense that God is allowing it for a reason. I’ve had a chance to rest my tired mind and get some practical things done, like cleaning up the house, dealing with life, and enjoying end-of-the-school-year activities. The extra time allowed me to start blogging more often, which has been a long-time goal of mine. And if I’d had an assignment or two due last week, I would not have had time to respond when those characters returned, along with the creativity required to try fiction again.
I recognized this slow period as a gift of time from the One who knows how overwhelming life has been. A rather worn-out (in my opinion anyway) Christian cliché says, “Sometimes God says yes; sometimes He says no; and sometimes He says wait.” This week reminded me that sometimes He says no so He can say yes to something we’ve been waiting on Him for.
Labels: answers to prayer, Waiting
posted by Jeanette Hanscome at 4:31 PM
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