Oh, Wait! – 3 Reasons for Pausing

Waiting isn’t acceptable in our culture. We don’t like it one bit. We’ve become so comfortable with fast, that we have lost all skills at pausing.

I’ve even been told that it’s not good to write sequels because people don’t want to wait for the next book. Many people recommend hanging on to all manuscripts so that you can release them quickly. And, honestly, it kills me to know that the next The Hobbit movie is finished. I hate waiting, too.

It’s that very fact that is driving me to edit the sequel to Toxic as fast as possible. I know you are there waiting to see what happens next. But as pages sit in front of me and as I continue working through the manuscript, I can’t help but be glad I’ve waited to release it. You should be glad as well.

Why? Why should we ever be glad to we have to wait?

1. Waiting is encouraged by God.

Isaiah 40:31 says, “they who wait for 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 don’t know about you, but I could really use this type of strength. Perhaps if I waited for the Lord, instead of trying to seize what I want, instead of chasing false hopes, I would find a peace in Him that I’ve never known.

Lamentations 3:25 says that “The Lord is good to those who wait for Him.”

It’s hard at times when you pray and pray, but nothing changes. I believe that waiting with a patient attitude is one of the hardest things we can do. It takes guts, determination, and faith. It’s certainly not for the weak. But keep your eyes on the rewards waiting gives you, instead of how long the delay has been. Remember that God is faithful. Then you shall soar with the eagles.

2. Waiting can bring excellence.

Every single time I work through Rancid, I make it better. I find a Biblical theme I hadn’t thought of before. I see a way to heighten the action and suspense. Sometimes I add a line that I know will make you laugh. I could have released Rancid months ago, but using the time wisely has created a far better book.

Sometimes when we are forced into waiting, we fume. We’re so caught up in how it affects us that we miss what the experience can teach us. Waiting can give us time to smooth off the rough edges, focus on improvements, and further our knowledge. Don’t waste you down time by throwing a fit. Use the time to polish up areas in your life so that when the wait is over, you will be ready for it.

3. Waiting gives others a chance to join you.

Six months ago, I contacted someone to do the cover for Rancid. I shared with her the vision I had of the cover. She said she’d get on it. I waited for five months. (She communicated with me during this time and remained very professional.) However, the cover wasn’t done.

I couldn’t have gone into a fury about this, but I didn’t because I knew Rancid needed a few more edits. I kept doing my work while I waited. Out of the blue, the designer contacted me and said she had just found an image that she was dying to use and thought it would be perfect for my cover. She worked it up and sent me a proof. The image was the very thing I wanted. The cover is perfect.

If I had decided not to wait and forced the cover to be done earlier, I would have missed out on this amazing cover. Instead, waiting gave the designer the time to find it. Just perhaps you are ready for the next step, but the person next to you isn’t. Hold your horses a bit. You will be blessed by allowing others to catch up with you.

I am almost done with Rancid. The final edits are going very well. The cover is almost completely finished as the designer is putting on the final touches. I cannot wait to share Rancid with you, but I’m going to wait until it’s the right time.

What are you waiting for? And, by the way, would you like to see the cover of Rancid?

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