By Rebecca Gernon

Waiting for Christmas  morning to arrive when I was 7 years-old  seemed to take forever, but it was a mere blink of the eye compared to waiting for a publisher to give me a “yes” or “no,” about my manuscript. I called twice in 9 months, so I don’t think I was being too pushy, and I know it takes a traditional publisher a long time to make a decision, but…..as my patience trickled away, depression set in.

Patience is not a one-time event, it is a way of life.

Writing is a solitary business. This in itself can lead to depression.  As writers, we doubt our writing, our self worth, our ability to promote and sell a book should we become published, and if we have sold manuscripts in the past, we wonder if we are a “one hit wonder.”

While waiting for a publisher to tell me “yes,” I’ve continued to submit plays and stories to other publishers, all with negative results. This does not help my mood either.

So, as my last resort, not my first as it should have been, I turned to scripture. My Bible has many verses highlighted that I especially like. Obviously I’ve dealt with lack of patience often, because two of the three verses I read today were already highlighted.

Psalm 27:14 Wait for the Lord. Be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.

Psalm 130:5  I wait for the Lord, my soul waits and in his word I put my hope.

Isiah 30:18  Yes, the Lord longs to be gracious to you; he rises to show you compassion. For the Lord is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for him.

Does waiting patiently guarantee that my book will be published? No. But God has promised to bless those who wait for him. God works his plan according to  his time, not mine. I take comfort in the fact that the  Lord is gracious and in him I have hope.  Meanwhile,  I’ll keep plugging away, and I hope you will too.