We commit, God establishes
“The agent you were assigned an appointment with wasn’t able to make it to the conference.”
The news felt like a gut punch. But that’s just my luck, you know.
And yet, in spite of the disappointment, a single thread of relief wove itself through my heart because now I had an out. Inclement weather kept her at home, and that would be one less rejection I’d endure.
Maybe a blessing in disguise.
Before the end of the month, I received an email from her to schedule a make-up session online. Having received helpful feedback from an editor, not only had I made the decision to permanently shelve the one manuscript I had, I had just begun a new one.
I had nothing to pitch to an agent, however I would never turn down an opportunity to connect and build a relationship with another fellow writer. I scheduled the call for mid-October and kept plotting and typing and praying that our short time together would be fruitful.
The morning finally arrived, and her bright smile filled the screen. I hoped she wouldn’t be disappointed in what little I had to offer.
“Give me a quick overview of your manuscript. What’s the genre and length?”
I confessed that I didn’t have a complete manuscript. I had about 10,000 words and a storyline. I shared the quick history of my book and the idea for the finished product, while she occasionally added in two-thumbs up and silent applause.
From the other side of the computer, and country, she cheered me on. Gave me ideas. Encouraged me to keep at it, and then said the one sentence I never expected to hear.
“When your manuscript is completed and polished, email it to me.”
Had she been at the conference in August, I wouldn’t have had this book to pitch. And what, at the time, felt like a complete failure was really a set-up for success. Because without the editor’s suggestion, I’d be living in frustration and still lacking the premise of a book that, one day, may actually come to be.
An absolute blessing in disguise.
“Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and He will establish your plans.” – Proverbs 16:3
Things take time. Nothing happens as quickly as we’d like. But it is the growing pains of perseverance that plant the seeds for a fruitful harvest. And we must ensure that we are laboring for God’s kingdom if we truly desire to produce things of lasting and eternal matter.
We commit to fulfilling our part, we trust God to establish what’s best, and we can be certain His will, whatever it may be, is accomplished.
