Wednesday, June 25, 2008

Why Not Me?

Jennie and Anita posted comments regarding my Standing Ovation post that gave me the idea to send out this new thought on writing. Though it's about writers, readers may like to know the struggle authors have regarding a writing career.

No matter if we're published or not, authors asked the question, "Why not me?" Why don't I have a NY Times best seller? Why didn't my editors like my new proposal? Why am I not getting a contract for a book? Why doesn't an agent want to represent my novel? Will I ever have a published novel?

These questions can cause us to be depressed and to guide our careers in places the Lord may not have in his plan for us. The Bible tells us "A man may plan his course, but the Lord guides His steps." The address that I spoke about in my previous blog entry was based on verses in Ecclesiastes 3, For everything there is a season, and the hard part for us is to wait for God to give us our season.

But the Lord also offers us Gal 6: 8-9 to think about. "Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up." Again we hear the word proper time. The Bible repeats those messages--our season, the proper time and He has made everything beautiful in its time. God keeps telling us, but we don't always want to understand. We wait on Him, the source of our talent and the purpose for which we write. God knows when we are ready to make the total sacrifice to be a writer, when our work is ready to be published so that it can reach a multitude of readers and not only a few as in self-publishing. And most of all, he knows when readers are ready to receive the book of your heart which you've written. It's a three-part plan to God and He knows. We wait.

3 comments:

Janet Tronstad said...

Gail -- you raise some good questions. For me, the faith part of writing has always had some pitfalls -- in part because, when I sold my first book, I also lost a friend. She had been writing longer than I had and couldn't understand why God had allowed me to be published when she had worked so much harder than I had (and that part was true).

Janet

Ausjenny said...

Good post. I have been learning much more about Authors and there journeys to writing novels. I guess it can be applied to other skills God gives us also. Thanks for sharing.

Gail Gaymer Martin said...

Hi Janet -- I think envy is a green monster that clings to even Christian's shoulders, but if we believe that God is with us, then the decision of who gets published and who doesn't is his good gift and not our own.

Not all talent is equal. Some people have a natural talent and others work at it harder. I sold my first book in a year. My friend who sold hers the month before me had worked 20 years to sell a novel. Why? I have no idea but the Lord was behind it and I am grateful -- and so is she.

And yes, Jenny, I believe this goes for every talent. All things are beautiful in its time. I suspect my physical beauty will have its time in heaven, but for now, I praise the Lord, my writing has been touched by God's beaulty now.

Gail