Waiting -- An Exciting Place to Be

I think I've written about waiting on this blog before, but it's been a long while.

Last August on a very hot and humid day, a friend and I stepped into a very crowded doctor's waiting room. Since most everyone who comes to this doctor has to have eye drops, they come with a designated driver which, of course, means two seats for every patient.

The doctor had to cancel appointments a couple weeks earlier because of a trip to Haiti to assist earthquake victims. Now, it appeared they'd doubled up on that day's appointments to catch up. A "catch-22" in the making.

So there we were, squeezed into this warm, stuffy room for three hours. At least part of my time was spent doing a field test and being seen by the doctor, but my friend finally had to step out for some air.

God has had me in His waiting room for a long while as I await publication in fiction. But unlike the stuffy doctor's office I experienced last summer, His waiting room is exciting because I have learned that God doesn't waste time even while we are waiting. 

This past year,  He revealed to me through books by Henry Blackaby and Francis Chan that the Spirit of the living God is within in me in a profound way, ready to lead me through all of life's challenges. That those nudges I feel at times are more than just intuition, but God Himself guiding me to make good choices. Of course I've believed, ever since coming to Christ, that the Holy Spirit is within me, but this took my concept of that to a whole new level.

Then, over the summer, I went on a C.J. Mahaney binge, reading his books on humility, worldliness, and living the cross-centered life. I also read another book by Francis Chan called Crazy Love. And, from that, I've dealt with pride in a huge way.

I begin every morning now, as Mahaney, suggests, acknowledging that God is my Creator and He is the one on whom I depend for the very air that I breathe and for everything in my life. He is the one who equipped me with the desire and talent to write, and in His due time I will reap a harvest. That without Jesus going to the cross for me, I wouldn't even be able to stand before God and pray to Him and know that He hears me and that He loves me unconditionally. That my life in His hands is the best thing in the whole wide world.

So I'm still waiting in that place God has for me at this moment. While here I continue to do what He has called me to do--write! And learn to write better. I attend conferences, listen to teaching on MP3's, participate in on-line courses, and read a lot of fiction. Reading is for enjoyment and entertaining, but for a writer like me, it's also learning by the example of authors who have gone before me.

I think I ended my last blog about God's waiting room saying I wouldn't want to be anywhere else. I still feel the same way.

For more on C.J. Mahaney check out his website. To purchase books by C.J., you can get them here.
For more on Francis Chan, go to his website. To purchase books by him, you can get them here.

I have not been asked by either C.J. Mahaney or Francis Chan to promote their books or ministries.

Choosing to SEE by Mary Beth Chapman with Ellen Vaughn

Every now and then a book comes along that is not only great--It's a gift. An extravagant gift. This is one of those books.

Beth Moore

I ordinarily do not review non-fiction on A Writer's Journey, but this book took an exception. When I had to opportunity to receive a preview copy of Choosing to See I grabbed it up because I remembered so well the tragedy that struck the family of Steven Curtis Chapman a couple years ago.

The day I heard that Steven and Mary Beth Chapman's daughter, Maria, was accidentally struck by a car driven by their son, Caleb, and died as a result, my heart wrenched. I felt deep pain for the parents and for Caleb. I couldn't imagine the pain he was feeling over and above the normal grieving for the passing of a sibling. What made it even more poignant was that Maria was one of three girls the Chapmans had adopted from China. Before I retired from my day job and started writing full time, my boss, a single woman, had adopted two Chinese girls, and I felt a sort of kinship to the Chapmans.

I prayed hard for that family over the months following and often wondered how they were coping in the aftermath.

Mary Beth describes herself as not the extrovert in the family. She leaves that to her outgoing famous singer husband whose song lyrics and music have blessed many, leading them to praise and worship of God. Now, in the wake of her daughter's untimely death, she finds herself thrust into a spotlight she never planned on--writing this book and currently speaking at Women of Faith events.

The back of the book says: "In Choosing to SEE, Mary Beth unveils her struggle to allow God to write the story of her life, both the happy chapters and the tragic ones. And as the story unfolds, she's been forced to wrestle with some of life's biggest questions: Where is God when things fall apart? Why does God allow terrible things to happen: How can I survive hard times?"

Even if you have been fortunate enough to not have endured a tragedy close to what Mary Beth has experienced, you will find this book relevant. We all have those moments, those days, when everything goes wrong and nothing seems right. Mary Beth shares what God has taught her through all of this. I'm sure that her testimony of God's faithfulness, even in her deepest, darkest moments, will be an encouragement to her readers.

What I appreciated the most was her transparency. Within the book's covers she reveals her weaknesses, her strengths, her insecurities and a wonderful and sometimes unexpected sense of humor.

I highly recommend this book. I came away from it encouraged in my own relationship with God and I expect you will too!

Available September 2010 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

Note: I received a copy of this book at no charge from Revell, but in no way did that influence my review.