Waiting is hard, especially when you have that dream that seems to be put on hold for a reason you can't understand. Today, Gail Johnson shares her experience with the three Ds. -- Sandy
Gail: Last year I watched my
twenty-three-year-old son struggle with the path the Lord was asking him to
follow. Each day he traversed the same timbered trails while crying and seeking
answers. Weeks later while praying with him, I heard the Lord whisper, “I’m not
late, and you’re not behind.”
I repeated what I had heard to my son, who chuckled even
while the tears continued streaming down his face. At this point in time, I
must admit I was beginning to question God’s timing myself. Yet here we were
being assured that we were not behind and God was not late.
The Lord recently reminded me of His words.
In 2005, I could no longer ignore the tugging of my heart to
write. I enrolled in a creative writing class and began crafting short stories.
Two years later, I began a Christian fiction novel, My Desire, Chronicles of
Adora. In 2009, I enrolled in the two-year Apprentice Course at CWG. But life
didn’t go as planned.
Disappointments
In 2010, as my husband and I struggled with major health
issues our marriage stalled as we grew apart. Something we had thought
impossible before. Between the angry outbursts and the silent days, I struggled
to write about happily-ever-after. Eventually, I stored the manuscript and
walked away.
Delays
In 2014, I began hearing
my characters once more. Finally with my marriage back on track, I enrolled in
the Journeyman’s Course and began working again on My Desire. I was even
planning a prequel! But it wasn’t to be…not yet. The Lord asked me to write my
current WIP, a creative non-fiction piece of heartache and healing—defeat and
triumph. Hello, You (Working title) is scheduled to be published this year.
Detours
Detours are like flies. Often annoying. But as I crafted
this story, I traveled back through the past forty years of my life—something I
had avoided for decades—and found disappointments, delays, and detours
scattered throughout. Yet, without them, I could not have written this book.
I have come to appreciate my 3-D life. For a while, I
thought them to be stumbling blocks. But to my surprise, they have proven to be building blocks that bring
my stories to life.
And so, as I sit pounding the keyboard toward my deadline, I
am reminded nothing is ever as it seems at first glance. God is always up to something.
He is never late. And in the end, we are never behind.
Has God ever shown you that His timing is not yours? Have you experienced the 3 Ds?
~~~~~
Gail Johnson writes inspirational stories and songs to
encourage her readers and listeners. She is currently
working on a creative nonfiction story scheduled for publication this year. She
is a retired homeschool teacher and cosmetologist. She is also a fighter, blogger,
reader, music lover, amateur carpenter, and four-wheeler rider. Visit her at:
Twitter: www.twitter.com/GailJohnson87
Website: www.centerofhiswheel.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/GailJohnson87
Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/GailJohnson87/