Faith Archives - Page 32 of 36

Yearning

Posted on April 8, 2011November 7, 2011 by Katie Ganshert

Writers know this word. We are well-acquainted with it. Because we yearn for so many things.

A contest final. An agent. A chance. A contract. We long for our words to be read. For our stories to touch lives. We long for affirmation–that all this time and all this sweat and all these tears will matter. We yearn for our hopes to take shape and grow into something we can hold – like a book.

Lately, I’ve been yearning.

It has nothing to do with writing. But it still feels the same. That deep-down longing for something that isn’t happening. A heaviness that presses against my heart. An unmet desire. An ache. And sometimes…..or maybe lots of times…a fear.

What if this doesn’t happen?

You only have to be human to understand that question. Because we all yearn. Each and every one of us. And it’s never comfortable. I have never met a person who enjoys the feeling. I have never heard anyone say, “Man, this is great! Give me some more please.”

That’s silly.

And yet…

There are times, in the quietness of the morning, where I find myself thanking God for the discomfort.

Not because I’m such a patient and long-suffering person (my husband is laughing right now). But because the ache draws me closer to Him. The deeper the ache, the tighter I cling. And the tighter I cling, the more I realize something.

He’s what I want. He satisfies the yearning.

Not the fruition of my dreams. Because dreams beget more dreams. Not getting what I want. Because gifts only stay shiny for so long.

But Jesus.

It’s about loving Him no matter if He gives me what I’m yearning for or not. It’s about trusting that He has a purpose. And maybe His purpose is better than mine.

My latest obsession in music right now is a song called Blessings, by Laura Story. I think it is breathtaking.

What if my greatest disappointments, the aching of this life, is the revealing of a greater thirst this world can’t satisfy? -Laura Story

The pain reminds this heart that this is not our home. -Laura Story

Don’t you just love those lines? They make me think of yearning in a whole new way.

Let’s Talk: What are you yearning for these days?

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Blessed?

Posted on January 17, 2011November 7, 2011 by Katie Ganshert

We find out a friend’s pregnant and we say, “What a blessing!” And the woman who’s barren wonders…..

We read about a writer getting a book contract and we say, “What a blessing!” And the writer who’s still waiting wonders….

We see smiling parents with healthy children and big houses and we say, “What a blessing!” And the mother struggling with the medical bills wonders….

Am I blessed?

Here in America, blessing is usually synonymous with good fortune. Whether that be money or health or success or popularity or beauty or (fill in the blank). We think if good things happen to us, then God must be blessing us. Which is fine and might even be true. But for every definition we construct, there’s an unspoken opposite that simmers beneath it.

If blessed means fertility, then the infertile woman isn’t blessed.

If blessed means publishing success, then the unpublised author isn’t blessed.

If blessed means health and prosperity, then the unhealty and poor aren’t blessed.

And if we’re not blessed, we must be doing something wrong. Somehow we’re missing the point. God’s not pleased with us. Maybe even upset with us. We’re undeserving….less loved.

Then Jesus opens his mouth and He says…

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

“Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.

“Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.

“Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.

“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.

“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

“Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven….”

Wow. Rejoice and be glad.

Because it’s the hard stuff that removes our hope from this shifting world and pins it on an unchanging God. It’s the hard stuff that brings us to our knees and draws us close to Him. And drawing close to Him…..wow. What a blessing.

Let’s Talk: Do you go through periods in life where you don’t feel blessed? Do you equate good fortune with blessing? If you could pull up a chair with God and ask Him what it means to be blessed, what do you think He’d say?

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Finding Peace

Posted on January 10, 2011November 7, 2011 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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