Category: Christianity

Finding Peace

Posted on by Katie Ganshert

Everybody wants it, right? I mean, really, have you ever met a person who’s said, “No thank you. I don’t want peace. Give me frustration and worry and agitation, please.”

Of course not. That’s ludicrous. We all would like peace. So how does one get it? Especially a writer seeking publication?

I think, in order to get it, we have to start with reality.

Here’s my reality.

Here’s me.

I’ve been agented for over a year now, and I can easily remember what it felt like before. What it felt like to put so much energy and hope into getting an agent. What it felt like to read about other writers getting agents. Experiencing the joy with them, but also a pang of sadness that it wasn’t me. I remember what it felt like to dream about getting that call–receiving that validation–that yes, I’m good enough for representation. That’s what I wanted to happen and man, once that happened, I’d be happy. I’d be at peace.

Well. I did get that call. I got that validation. It was a super exciting night. But then I woke up in the morning, and you know what? Life was still life. I was the same me. I still had doubts and insecurities and all that energy I spent dreaming about an agent, worrying that I’d never get the call….it didn’t go away. It just morphed into something different. It wasn’t, “What if I never get an agent” anymore, it was now, “What if a publishing house never offers me a contract? What if my agent realizes she made a mistake, that I can’t really write, and she drops me?” I started thinking that if I could just get a contract, then I’d be at peace. I’d feel secure and my dreams would finally come true.

Okay. So imagine this.

You get a publishing contract. You celebrate and rejoice. You jump up and down. You freak out with your writing friends and cry and laugh and do a couple back flips.

But then what?

Are you done dreaming? Are you going to stop wishing? Will you stop wanting more? All that energy you spent on finding a publishing house – do you think it’s just going to go away?

I have a strong inkling it doesn’t. I have a strong feeling it morphs into something else. A whole new set of worries. Like, what if I can’t write anymore stories? What if something goes wrong and my contract never comes in the mail? What if I don’t earn out my advance? What if I get horrible reviews? What if nobody buys my book and I can’t get anymore deals? I have a strong feeling that a person with a publishing contract still struggles with jealousy.

Do you see the pattern?

There’s always going to be another hill to climb. Another prize to chase after. Another dream to dream. The worry and unrest and insecurity aren’t going to magically disappear once we reach a certain wrung on the ladder of publication.

This is reality. At least it’s mine.

No matter where you are, there’s always going to be a bigger dream that stirs up just as much worry and anticipation as the previous one. Don’t fool yourself into thinking that once I just get to this point….

So how do we find peace?

Here are four things I think might help:

  • Repeat after me: Circumstances don’t bring peace. At least not the lasting kind. If we’re depending on circumstances, then we’re standing on very wobbly ground. Things change. Life is filled with seasons. If we want peace, we need to look up, not out.
  • Examine the source of your identity and worth. If my worth is wrapped up in the industry, then I’m never going to find the peace I’m looking for. No matter how high on that ladder I climb, peace will always be one wrung ahead. And when I finally do get to the next one, I’ll be left standing there, scratching my head, wondering, “What in the heck happened? I thought I’d be happy by now.”
  • Accept that our journeys were never meant to be compared. The journey I’m on isn’t supposed to be the one you’re on. My journey looks different because God created me different. He has different lessons for me to learn. And just because my journey moves slower than Author A’s or faster than Author B’s, doesn’t mean I’m any less favored or loved by God.
  • Realize that God doesn’t care about the publishing contract. He doesn’t even really care about the books. At least not as much as He cares about YOU. He hasn’t called me, or you, on this journey for the sake of book sales and good reviews. He hasn’t called us on this journey to give us everything we want exactly when we want it. He’s called us on this journey to grow our character. To teach us what it means to stay on our knees. To experience the wonder of creating. To surrender. To wait, because wow, do we ever wait. And to trust. To trust that maybe our definition of success, and the world’s definition of success, has nothing to do with His.

I hope you found some of these tips helpful. Wherever you are on the ladder this new year, may peace overflow in your life.

Let’s Talk: Do you ever think a change of circumstances will bring you peace or happiness? Do you ever think that once you reach a certain point, the insecurities and uncertainties will go away? What do you think is God’s definition of success?

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What Would you Trade?

Posted on by Katie Ganshert

I wouldn’t trade it for the world. I’ve heard those words a million times, but not until last week did I let them roll around inside my head.

During my twenty minute commute to work, while listening to music and letting my mind sway along with the corn bordering the black-topped road, I pondered that saying for the first time. And I got to thinking. Are there things I’d trade if I could?

Like, if I could trade the past six months of waiting, would I? Or, if I could trade this passion for something less emotionally taxing, would I? Or, if I could trade the rejections I’ve received on my writing journey, would I?

I thought about all these things. How my book was supposed to go to pub board in April and how much less stressful it would’ve been if my agent had called six months ago with great news. I thought about all the rejections I’ve received since I started and how much less painful it would’ve been not to get any of those. I thought about the passion God’s given me for telling stories, and how much easier life would be if He’d given me a different calling – like basket weaving. I bet basket weavers don’t deal with the same level of stress and heart ache that writers do.

I imagined a scenario where God came down from heaven, planted Himself in my passenger seat, and offered me another life. An easier life. A life with no waiting and no rejections. A life without this passion that burns so hot that sometimes – okay, often time – it hurts. It scalds. It makes me jerk back with a blistered heart. If God offered me this easier life, would I take it?

I turned off my radio and looked at my son in the rear view mirror, bouncing his feet, waving his pudgy hand at an abandoned tractor. Seeing him back there made me think about parenting. One of the most rewarding things I’ve ever done. But also one of the hardest. And I got to thinking. Sometimes it’s the hard things that make life worth living. Those are the things that keep us on our toes. Or maybe on our knees.

I thought about how an easier life doesn’t necessarily make for a better one.

Because of writing, I’ve spent the last two years kneeling in prayer. Because of waiting, I’ve learned to trust God with the unknown. Because of the rejections, I’ve gotten better at putting my hope in the God of the universe, instead of the changing winds of the publishing industry. Because of this passion, I know what it’s like to feel alive, to feel energized with a sense of purpose, to feel in awe of God’s grace. That He would give someone like me this amazing, challenging gift.

Nothing about writing is easy. Not one single part. But you know what? I wouldn’t trade it for the world.

Question to Ponder: What about you? Are there things you’d trade? What have the hard things in life taught you?removetweetmeme

What is Christian Fiction?

Posted on by Katie Ganshert

Listening to Tim Downs, the ACFW keynote speaker, was definitely a conference highlight. During one of his talks, he discussed the concept of Christian fiction. Like, what is it exactly?
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I bet if you asked a hundred different authors in the CBA this question: What is Christian fiction? You’d get a hundred different answers, ranging from “stories written by Christian authors” to “stories with the message of salvation”. Some insist Christian fiction must be “clean”, while others insist there’s room for “some grit”. The answers run the gamut.
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The point of Tim’s message wasn’t to give us a definition, but to make us think.
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He brought up a certain analogy that stuck with me. I’d like to share it here.
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He talked about Easter egg hunts. How when his children were really young, he and his wife would “hide” eggs in plain sight. Like, right on top of the grass and for extra measure, they’d stand by the eggs and sort of shuffle their feet and make gestures, just to make sure their toddler would find it. But as their children grew older, he and his wife had to get better and better at hiding the eggs. In fact, if they didn’t hide the eggs really well, their kids would lose interest. They got so good at hiding eggs that weeks after Easter, they’d catch their children still looking for them.
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Do you see the analogy?
Some Christian writers put the egg on the grass. Others like to hide it. I’ve seen the two sides argue. Take up arms about what which type is better. And each time, I sense this unspoken pride lurking in the shadows. Tim didn’t want us to take sides. He only wanted us to consider this: In the wide world of Christian fiction, isn’t there room for both?
Questions to Ponder: What is Christian fiction to you? Do you read it? Do you write it? Do you think we should hide the egg, or leave it in plain sight?

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