Waiting Upon the Lord…

It’s been an interesting few months. I’ve been praying about how to proceed with regard to seeing the publication of the second installment of The Calling Of Casey Evand series. With pepperings of interest from a few large publishing companies coming to naught thus far, and with my hopes of finding a reputable faith-based literary agent at a sort of standstill, I’m befuddled.

I’ve heard from so many wonderful readers who have told me that they have been blessed by The Crimson Purpose. Some have shared with me testimonies of their own walks through trials reminiscent of those facing the story’s characters. Some have shared with me assurances that I had described their struggles with false Christian guilt, victim mentality, or depressive tendencies accurately. I give God the glory for this, for I believe that, in articulating struggles which we face–especially as believers–we can gain a better perspective, and we can respond as God would have us to respond.

And, of course, such encouragement from readers makes me all the more excited about the prospect of being able to offer the next book in the series. I’ve been working on tweaks and improvements, getting it ready for the professional editors. I’ve been praying over the content, hoping that the words will serve to continue the theme of the first book while entertaining and engaging the reader. I’ve been doing all I know to do… and yet, I’ve been increasingly concerned that nothing big has happened, lately; nothing to push that next book onto the presses.

But, then, God did something which should not have surprised me–for my God is indeed a big God. On the day during which I was feeling especially low–especially frustrated about the lull in sales and uncertain as to what my course of action should be–I prayed, as I’ve been praying. But, this time, I tried to pin God down on a definitive answer. Silly me.

God didn’t answer me in the way that I asked Him to answer me. Instead, He showed me that my duty is to follow His leading. Nothing more. Nothing less.

Someone to whom I’d given a copy of my book nearly four months previous–someone I barely knew–crossed my path. This person told me that after reading the book, it was passed on to several others. He shared with me the impact the story had made on himself and his wife, and their hopes of using the book as a tool to reach out to a dear friend struggling with many of the same issues addressed in the book. We spoke for some time, and I left that conversation feeling profoundly humbled. God had answered me in a way which far exceeded my hopes of knowing the future. Rather, God showed me the present.

As if that weren’t enough of an epiphany, God, only a few hours later, lead a lovely young woman to share with me–quite unprovoked–about something in her past with which she still occasionally struggles. The things she described were so reminiscent of the issues in the book, that I assumed that she had read the book and had sought me out because of the similarities. But she hadn’t read it. Humbled yet again, I told the woman that I wanted her to have a copy of The Crimson Purpose. It wasn’t a gesture born of arrogance, but of a certainty that God had placed me at that place with a means to minister to that woman. God is so good, and I am so thankful that He is allowing me to be an encouragement through my writing.

So, no, I don’t yet know what tomorrow will bring regarding the publishing of the second installment of the series, but I am striving to remember that God does know. And He will let me in on His plans when it suits Him to do so. Praise God!