WRITING AND WAITING…

By Caryl McAdoo

In 1965, I listened to The Kinks on my transistor radio. “So tired, tired of waiting; tired of waiting for you.” I ask what writer hasn’t experienced being tired of waiting? We put hundreds of hours at the computer, fingertips sore from typing, and finally, at last thankfully tap out THE END. Edits and rewrites come next of course, but soon enough, we write our cover letters and send our baby out there.

Then comes the wait, and we get so tired just like The Kinks. We’re all tired of waiting.

And what for?           

I believe it makes little difference. It is a test. Because God from his throne could tap that editor on the shoulder or send an angel and have her dream the night before—or after—she reads it and convince her she loves your manuscript. The point is if He wants it done, it will be done. So, can we trust Him then?

Psalm 27:14 says, “Wait on the Lord; be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart; wait, I say, on the Lord!” Then in Proverbs 8:34, Wisdom speaks. “Blessed is the man who listens to me, watching daily at my gates, waiting at the posts of my doors.

Why do we have to wait when we’re so tired of it? In the first Chapter of James, we’re told to count it all joy when we fall into various trials—I say, for the purposes of this post, waiting to hear from an editor falls into that category—knowing that testing our faith produces patience. Oh no! Patience? Have you ever prayed for patience? A dangerous thing indeed.

Could it be He is working one of His attributes in us? Making us more into the image of His Son? Think that’s maybe why He led us into this awesome career? Here’s where I’m going besides trying to encourage you in periods of waiting. If we are all waiting on something, shouldn’t our characters be?           

It’s one more trait that makes them human. They should have to be waiting on something, just like us. What are your characters waiting on? How are they reacting to the wait? Are they counting it all joy? Will they let patience have its perfect work, so that they may be perfect and complete? Lacking nothing?

Chapter Forty of Psalms is all about faith persevering in trial, and David sang, “I waited patiently for the Lord; and He inclined to me, and heard my cry. He also brought me up out of a horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my steps. He has put a new song in my mouth— Praise to our God; many will see it and fear, and will trust in the Lord.”

How about you? What trial are you going through? What are you waiting on?

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Caryl has always loved to write and is excited with her first historical Christian romance VOW UNBROKEN from Howard Books, a division of Simon and Schuster, set in 1832 Texas. For every good blessing - including 10 children (4 by birth, 6 by marriage) and 14 grandchildren - she gives God the glory. Caryl lives a country-life with Ron, her husband of forty-six years and four grandsons, outside Clarksville, Red River County Seat, located in far Northeast Texas Her second historical Christian (western adventure) romance set in 1844 Texas, HEARTS STOLEN, recently released! Caryl McAdoo can be found at www.CarylMcAdoo.com