Where God's Word Meets Our Mess
So I crafted a query letter and a book proposal, which I submitted to about 30 literary agents and publishers. And as you know (if you read my recent blogiversary post), none of those literary agents or publishers expressed interest in my book. I was crushed. But more than that, I was frustrated with God—because it felt like He was standing in the way of me achieving my New Year’s resolution.
Today's post is from a blogger friend of mine, Ellie McCracken. She's passionate about inspiring girls to thrive in their relationships with God—as you'll see when you read her post! Enjoy, friends!
I can’t help thinking about how similar I’ve felt to Gabby Barrett. I, too, have felt “love slipping through my hands”—honestly, many times, not just on one particular occasion. But there have been a few especially painful (and recent) times this has happened to me.
Recently, I’ve been reminded how much disappointment stings. Unfortunately, no matter how hard I try, I can’t prevent disappointments from happening. However, the lessons that I’ve been learning through this recent disappointment in my life will hopefully encourage you as you navigate disappointments in your own life. Here are a few things to remember when life disappoints you.
I wish I could tell you that this Valentine’s Day is special because I finally met The One, but this Valentine’s Day is no different than last Valentine’s Day. Instead of being curled up on the couch with a handsome Christian man wearing a navy pullover sweater and an almost mischievous side smile, I’m writing yet another blog post about singleness. “An Honest Confession on Valentine’s Day” seemed like the only appropriate title for a post about the major gap between where I am and where I want to be this Valentine’s Day.
When I heard about Danny’s and Nina’s promotions, I started to drown in disappointment and embarrassment: Why did they promoted instead of me? Everyone in this company is probably wondering the same thing. Am I not doing enough? Am I doing something wrong?
2023, I realize that you may hold a million new opportunities. Oh, how I hope so. I could meet an amazing guy, fall in love, and get married. A huge book publisher could reach out to me and ask me to write a new book. Podcasters, bloggers, authors, speakers, and other influential individuals from around the world could invite me to share my story for their audiences. I should be hopeful about your arrival, not scared. So why can’t I seem to shake this fear?
My pride says, "Grace, your book could encourage so many young women as they recover from their eating disorders." My pride says, "There's so much potential for your book; you'd be famous if people knew about it." My pride says, "Your book could be a bestseller if only people would let you promote it." But as I focus on my book and my platform and my lack of success, I quickly drown in discouragement. Perhaps I need to focus less on my efforts and focus more on God’s will.
So in response to my Bible reading and my increasing weariness in the post-release season of Real Recovery, I wrote the following angry words in prayer: Dear God, as You know, it’s really frustrating to know that You can do BEYOND ALL THAT I ASK OR THINK yet You’ve done so much less than I asked or thought.
Tizzie's Tidbits of Truth 