Are You Disappointed with Your Writing Progress?
By Marilyn Nutter
Have you been disappointed? Have you gone to a writers’ conference and made appointments with editors, agents, or publishers only to hear (again) “No thank you” to your pitch for a book or an article? Maybe the professional scanned your one-sheet and handed it back to you with the same response. Or you submitted pieces for a contest, and your work didn’t make the finals.
I’ve been reading
through the Bible in a year. There are many familiar names, some from Bible
studies and childhood Sunday school, names like Ruth, David, and Zaccheus.
They’ve been the subject of talks and devotions. But I’ve been intrigued by the
chapters that offer lists and names of individuals that I don’t ever recall
reading or hearing about.
What about those in the
background? Let’s think for a minute. Can you name the men who had the skill of
embroidery for the tabernacle or the engraver for the temple? What was the name
of the boy who offered his lunch to Jesus? And who were the four guys who
carried their paralyzed friend and let him down through the roof so he could
see Jesus and be healed? Their activities are recorded in Scripture, so God
knows them and knows about them. They had a God-given purpose to fulfill so it
could be recorded on the pages of Scripture. Their names are unknown to us, but
they are significant in God’s story.
That’s true in our
writing. God knows the labor of our hands and the passion in our heart. He
knows how our mind has thought, pondered, and prayed over articles, blogs,
proposals, and manuscripts. Whether someone recognizes our work publicly from a
platform or seeks to publish it or not, the bottom line is this: God knows us and
His purposes for us.
Scripture reminds us to
work not for men, but as unto the Lord (Colossians3:23). Perhaps at a conference,
one of your purposes was to encourage a conferee in the hallway as she waited for
her appointment. Maybe it was to get more experience so you could feel more at
ease talking with editors, even though they declined your work. Perhaps during
a conversation you saw a different perspective that encouraged revision. Instead
of making the finals’ list, one person read your blog, and it was life-changing.
Our responsibility is
to obey our calling, learn more about our craft, listen to God’s voice, and
work with excellence.
God knows you even if
you don’t hear your name called from a platform or an editor says, “no thank
you” and moves on to the next appointment.
God will reward your work in His perfect
timing and in His way.
Photo by Dev Asangbam on Unsplash
Marilyn Nutter is the author of Hope for Widows: Reflections on Mourning, Living, and Change and co-author with April White of the award winning book, Destination Hope: A Travel Companion When Life Falls Apart, She is a frequent contributor to online sites and compilations. Visit her at http:/MarilynNutter.com.
Amen. Thank you for this encouraging message. :-)
ReplyDeleteThanks for taking the time to comment. I think we all need reminders to wait on God for His way and time and "it's not about me".
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