“Bring your favorite candy for a writing exercise.”  

Immediately I knew what was coming with me to the Arizona writer’s retreat.  

When ordering the luscious Do Not Chew truffles from New York, I was sorely disappointed when the sales lady informed me they would be unable to fulfill my order until later in the year as the condition of the truffle couldn’t be guaranteed if the temperature was above 75 degrees when shipping out of state.   

As I pleaded (demanded) my case of “my need” to have these “one of a kind” treats as soon as possible she reluctantly agreed to ship them. A few days later, the expedited UPS box was on my doorstep.   

I was thrilled, celebrating my controlled success loudly, while opening the much awaited box of deliciousness, but my attitude abruptly switched to shock as my hand felt the fluidity of the bag.  

“What in the world?”  

I couldn’t believe it! The delicate truffles had succumbed to the heat of my demands.

Little did I know this was the first lesson of many as I stepped into a new dimension of time shifting within the realm of a book writing journey.  

My get-er-done way of life was hijacked and replaced with the mantle of a slow, meandering river of soaking and pondering, waiting for the words wanting to be written to emerge to the surface of my heart.  

After months, actually years, of this slow intentional rhythmic movement, one would think this way of life would be etched so deeply, it would consume any other type of movement. But this was quickly disproved when the manuscript was ready for a printer.   

This embarkment of finding a printer would soon become yet another mantle of a long night of the soul. Days into weeks into months and still not a signed contract to get the book in print. Delays so unexpected and disappointing to this author who had been so thrilled to finally be finished with the manuscript and excited to launch the book.

Tempted to take matters into my own hands, I paused, remembering the chocolate mess caused my lack of patience and need to “have” it right now. Remembering the slow and tedious work of God in Jessie’s recovery, not being able to force her healing one day sooner. Remembering the power of staying in the moment and experiencing the peace of God by not looking forward in fear or anxiousness but trusting His orchestration of her recovery one step at a time.

In this morning’s meditation out of “Rhythms of Growth” by Linda Douty, she wrote how the Morning Glory opens its fragile arms to receive the day, sensing the hope with the dawn’s new light, with hope being one of the essential life-support systems for the human spirit, reminding us of God’s powerful presence seeing us through each moment.

Each frightening moment of holding one’s breath as you wait for the test results. Those fearful moments of waiting for your beloved loved one’s healing. Those tense moments of waiting for help to show up when you don’t know what to do.  

All those unknown moments are drenched with God’s presence and seeds of possibilities and miracles.   

Isaiah 40:31 holds this great strength for the weary: “Those who wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.”

I remember after finishing the manuscript, I gave it to God and said, “This is Yours now. Do with it what You will. I kept my promise and wrote Your story.” 

I must leave it there with Him.

So now I wait. And waiting isn’t doing nothing. There are many actions that can be taken. I can trust. I can believe. I can rest in Him. I can seek. I can share. I can connect. All of these actions are taken toward the One who holds the future of the book, but more importantly holds the future of each of our lives.