by Sandy Kirby Quandt @SandyKQuandt
If you have written and submitted your writing for any length of time, you have probably encountered God’s no or not yet.
You attend the conferences and participate in the Zoom workshops. Books on the craft of writing fill your shelves. You belong to a critique group. Writing is no longer a hobby. It is a pursuit. Your goal is to publish what you believe God placed on your heart to publish. But for whatever reason, God says, no or not yet. Frustrating.
We’ve all been there, haven’t we? Our requests are good. They are godly. They aren’t selfish. We believe God called us to write, so we write. We write whatever we feel God asks us to write. Blog posts, poems, devotions, articles, Bible studies, stories …
Most often, our goal in writing is for the purpose of sharing our writing with others. Some of what we write is published and finds its way in front of the audience God intended it to reach. And that’s worth celebrating.
When a Writer Encounters God’s No or Not Yet by @SandyKQuandt on @BRMCWC #Writing #Writinglife #BRMCWC Share on XYet, it’s been my experience that right along with those times when God said yes for a writing opportunity, he also said no to another piece of writing.
As I’ve pondered God’s no or not yet over the years, I’ve found, not just in my writing but also in my life, I may never know the reason for the no, but I can trust that whatever the reason, it is God’s best for me.
Sometimes, in hindsight, I have seen God’s no was a good thing. God knew what I didn’t know and protected me.
Perhaps you can nod in agreement.
Maybe God tells us no or not yet because we are not the one he tapped to accomplish what we have our heart set on accomplishing. If we find that to be the case, then shouldn’t our prayers shift toward praying for those God has tapped?
Despite how we might feel otherwise, could it be that God’s no or not yet is because we really aren’t ready for The Bigs, as they say in baseball? Or our work isn’t ready? Maybe our readers aren’t ready?
Perhaps God has something better planned, and in his no not yet wants us to pivot or shift our focus. How many times have we prayed for our work to get picked up, it wasn’t, and then we discovered that the opportunity God does provide is a much better fit?
Have you ever considered that in God’s no or not yet God may be working on us to change our heart or our priorities? If we honestly look at our writing, we allowed it to somehow become an idol? Have we placed it above everything else, including our time with God himself? Sure, we tell ourself, we’re writing for God, but have we left him out of the process?
When we think about God’s no or not yet, what if God is calling us to write because he wants us to spend more time with him during the process of writing, submitting, publishing, and all the rest?
Do you think that would be enough reason to write past the disappointing, no?
How do you handle God’s no or not yet, in your writing?
I wish you well.
Sandy
Sandy Kirby Quandt is a follower of Jesus with a passion for history and travel. Passions that often weave their way into her blog, stories, devotions, and articles. She writes articles, devotions, and stories for adult and children’s publications. She is a regular contributor to Guideposts devotional books, as well as a conference speaker. Sandy has won multiple awards for her writing, including several years in the Young Adult category of the Writer’s Digest Annual Writing Competition. Looking for words of encouragement or gluten-free recipes? Then check out her blog athttps://sandykirbyquandt.com.
