Have you ever had a nightmare where you couldn’t reach your destination because absurd obstacles kept preventing your departure? I have them frequently. They often involve a trip and I’m going to miss my flight because I can’t get to the airport on time. I take the wrong exit, I forget to pack pants, or I stop for a Kohl’s clearance sale and lose track of time. It’s a horrible feeling. Sometimes, I even dream I need to run to my next location, but my feet won’t move fast enough. I find if I turn around and run backwards, they can run quickly. (If anyone can interpret that for me, I’m all ears).
That feels very much like the book I began two years ago. It’s technically finished, but each time I say that, something else comes up to delay its release. Writing a book is the easy part. It’s the editing, formatting, advertising, cover design, and blurb that add layers you didn’t realize existed. Then, there’s the marketing. Ugh. Marketing gives me hives.
Aside from the technical hurdles, you encounter life delays, including minor illnesses, more complex health issues that drag you down for months, daily activities like dirty dishes, or major life disruptions (more on that in future blogs).
I’m repeatedly reminded that God’s timing isn’t ours. Every instance where I’ve felt like my feet were stuck in quicksand bought time for a new idea, person, or blessing to come my way. It’s easy to feel like we’re failing God when we don’t move at the speed we’d like, and I confess I get frustrated. I find myself thinking, “I’m already 53 years old and not getting any younger. Can we get this train rolling?”
While struggling through online marketing courses for writers, my graphics guy introduced me to a friend who happens to be a digital marketer. I paused on the release of the book to give him time to develop a strategic plan. As we met this week to look at his vision, I realized I narrowly avoided disaster by waiting on his professional skillset. What he plans is so much better than anything I would have created. When he suggested a new cover concept, I realized how grateful I was that I hadn’t yet shown you the first version.
God isn’t on our timetable. We’re so accustomed to microwaved meals, the efficiency of Chick-Fil-A’s drive-thru and Googling for instant answers that we expect God to meet our needs just as quickly.
His timetable is eternity, thus the dissonance between our desire and His pace. When we feel like our legs just can’t move fast enough, we’ve got to trust His process and know that it will all happen when everything is truly ready.
Has there been a moment when God’s delay turned out to be beneficial for you? Let me hear from you!