Casey Herringshaw is one of the sweetest, most encouraging people I know. We met through My Book Therapy, then in person at ACFW–American Christian Fiction Writers. She has a heart for Jesus and celebrating others.
She is a homeschool graduate and has been writing since high school. She lives in rural Eastern Oregon in a town more densely populated with cows than people. Taking the words and stories God has placed on her heart and putting them on paper is one of her highest passions in life. Casey is a member of ACFW. You can connect with her through her personal blog, Writing for Christ and her writing related group blog, The Writer’s Alley
I’m not a patient person.
Shoot, I just admitted one of my biggest flaws on the World Wide Web. But, I’m not. Never have been. My mom tells a story of me as a teeny bopper, cranking up the volume on the stereo between the silence before the next song.
Nope, patience is not my favorite skill and one I don’t employ often enough. But ask me about my publishing journey and I’ll gladly tell you I’ll wait as long as I have too. I’ll closet myself in the back corner, throw away the key, and edit until Christ comes back…instead of submitting, for fear I’ll send out an inferior product.
Ask me about any personal romance or love life and ooo baby, the patience flies out the window. Suddenly I’m not so eager to refine who I am in Christ, not anxious to truly become the wife and child of the King I need to be, instead I want to jump in with two feet now…why have to spend all that time waiting?
As I sat here thinking about writing this post, I started comparing my two “goals” as you would have it. I would love to be published, but I’m willing to work and refine my craft until it becomes as good as I can make it—I’m willing to take all the time I need. But when it comes to romance and marriage, I’m not as willing to put in that patient work and effort. I mean seriously, at twenty-one, who doesn’t want to be snatched up and given a special new name? Suddenly I’m not so eager to spend as much time as I need.
Welllll…problem is God is saying wait. It’s not the right time. And if I’m not okay with that, I’m going to have a miserable existence. My question so often to myself, is why can’t I just accept His timing like I can with my writing?
If I’m willing to make my writing the very best it can, I should be just as willing to put in the time and effort to perfect my life in Christ. Let’s face it, we are all works in progress, crafted by the Master’s hand, but we can only crafted as far as we allow ourselves to be sculpted to His will.
Maybe it won’t be this year. Maybe it won’t be next year, but like with my publishing future, I have to keep editing, keep revising and keep praying that God will mold me into the image of His love and perfect match for my future husband.
Will you join me? Revising, waiting, praying…patiently.
Your Turn: Is waiting a struggle for you? How do you get through it? What area of waiting are you in right now? How is God helping you?
Wonderful post, Casey!! Yes, waiting can be difficult for me, for sure. I try to block the impatience out, do something else, pray, eat, read…LOL
Cute story and the thing with romance and marriage (unlike publishing, lol) is that it can happen when you least expect it! 🙂
Why does waiting have to be such a plague?? And yet depending on how you flip the dial it could be a great blessing. Thanks for coming by and commenting!!
“If I’m willing to make my writing the very best it can, I should be just as willing to put in the time and effort to perfect my life in Christ.”
I just loved this line, Casey!
I’m not a patient person either. I don’t always wait well, but I find when I take the focus off of me and my wait and put it on something worthwhile for the Kingdom, time may not fly by, but it goes by and I am content.
Praying for THE ONE for you, sweet Casey. And while you wait, God is also refining him to be everything he’s supposed to be for YOU! 🙂 Love you, lady!
Just one more way you and I are alike…it’s just not the height thing! 😉
Yes, I completely agree with you. When I focus on ME, all I think about is me. But when I give my impatience over and find someone else to bless, that’s usually when God blesses me…with a peaceful spirit! 🙂
Casey, one of the things that struck me about you, when we met at ACFW, was your patience in the area of publishing. Amidst a conference of 700 people, most of whom have this hungry-gotta-have-it-now look on their faces, your attitude was like a balm. You made me think about the saying: “Good things come to those who wait.” It also applies to romance and love. God is currently writing your love story and He doesn’t want you to flip to the back of the book to find out how it ends. 🙂
Lisa, thanks for having Casey today! It was so much fun to stop by and see her here. 🙂
Oh, thank you Gabrielle! That means a lot to me…especially as I’m preparing to send my MS off and thinking about what I’ll do when it’s rejected. LOL! Seems a writer just can’t escape those doubts/fears.
I’m going to steal your line…no, I don’t think I’ll jump to the end. I might miss out on His gifts He has for me right now.
Lisa! Thank you so much for having me on your lovely blog. I’m thankful to have a chance to visit with your readers. 🙂 Much appreciation!!
(and I can’t wait to read the next Carol-award winning novel from your pen. ;))
I’m better at patience than I used to be. I’ve been focusing on the journey. And realizing whether it’s publishing or marriage, I need to be focusing on Jesus and releasing our desires and taking His. Only then will everything fall into place. Oh, by the way, my tagline is: I asked God to teach me patience and He gave me a book to write.
The older I get and the more life I live, the more patience I am learning too, Pat. God has walked me through some valleys to get where I am now and I still have to fight it once in a while. Stepping back and letting GOD take control instead of me fighting for the control makes for a much better outcome and a more peaceful Casey. 😉 And btw…I love your tagline. Perfect.
Casey, I look forward to the day you have BIG news on both the publishing front as well as in the romance arena. As one who didn’t meet Gwynly until she was 28 and who didn’t embrace her longtime dream of being a writer until she was 47, I can tell you that there can be truth to the saying: Good things come to those who wait. That doesn’t mean waiting is easy. Far from it. But we can learn a lot when we wait on the Lord.
Keli, yours will be one of the first ears to hear that type of news, I have no doubt. I love your love story! And to see how much you and Gwynly love each other is such an inspiration…as well as your writing journey! Yes, very true I feel to be learning more of God’s heart and path for me while I wait.
Casey, You’re such a sweetheart that I’m sure the reason your perfect soul mate hasn’t come along yet is that he is being perfected by God just for you! And you know it would be a death knell to settle for any less than God’s best 🙂
Now as to patience, nope. I’m not a patient person by nature. My whole Christian life has been a refining fire in the patience dept, sometimes blazing into an inferno 🙂 My refrain is: One day at a time, sweet Jesus, that’s all I’m asking from you…
I’m looking forward to the day you are published!
Oh Anne, how easily I have fooled so many people to my sweetness…LOL!
And yes, I completely agree with you…not settling for God’s best for me is not an option. I want Him to be the center of our marriage above all else.
Yes! One day at a time is very much my mantra. 🙂
I appreciate your honesty, Casey.
I appreciate you.
And me?
Yes, I’m waiting … waiting for God to bring good out of “all things.” I’m in one of those situations where I don’t see how good can come out of it. But I’m being obedient — as obedient as I can be, taking it a step at a time — and waiting on God to work it all according to His will.
Believing He will accomplish what concerns you too.
That’s the amazing God we serve. The promise that His word gives us so that even in our darkest times we can still see His light guiding our way. Praying for you, dear friend.
Case, can I just say this? You are amazing and some guy is gonna be LUUUUUU-cky to have you. Seriously.
And real love and romance…that’s worth the wait.
I’m totally with you, though. I’m not patient. At all. God’s teaching me a lot through this writing journey. A lot about my definition of success and what that is. And about what my ultimate goal is.
LOL, Lindsay…you’re sweet, thank you!
Oh I know! I’ve NEVER been bit more with jealousy than in this profession and I have to fight it more than I like to admit. But it again stems back to that patience and goal thing. I’m just so glad God’s got this. He does. Now it’s up to me to let him!
Ah, yes, Casey…those waiting years. I truly believe that when God gives you a desire for marriage, He will bring the right one along (usually when we give up looking…agh!). My advice is don’t settle for second best–wait for God’s best.
Same thing w/getting published. I’ve had lots of people try to help me out by advising me to self-publish. They’re just trying to help–they know how anxiously I’m waiting to reach people w/my stories. But when I gave up on my historical fiction novel and started writing something totally new, that’s the time when God brought an agent along who wanted to represent my hist.fiction! So when I gave up control, God stepped in. I’m hoping it’ll be the same with getting a publisher…I’ve started aNOTHER book while waiting to hear back from pubs on my historical fiction submission. Waiting doesn’t mean we have to stagnate! Hee.
Will put you on my writer prayer list!
Hello Heather! What great pleasure to chat with you today and learn a bit of your story. And I have to ask, because I love agent stories, who’s representing you?
I can’t begin to say how many times I’ve finally given up control and then God has blessed me. Alright, I’m learning my lesson and God will continue to keep teaching. 🙂
Great post, Casey! I’m not an inherently patient person either, but now that I have children I am learning a whole new definition of the word. We like to rush ahead, but ultimately God has seasons for a reason. And if this is all for him anyway, I guess his timing is best. 😉 helps to share in our suffering though, doesn’t it?
Exactly! As a parent, your children are only little once. Which would you rather have, your children or a multi book contract? I’ve met you…I know you’d pick your boys. (most days, ha! ;-)) But it’s perspective and God’s timing is ALWAYS best. Wow. He keeps showing me that.
I love these words, sweet Casey. You are so stinkin’ wise for a 21-year-old. I wish I’d have figured it out then. 🙂
I seem to go through seasons of patience and impatience. Right now is a season of patience, which is ironic since it’s also a season of waiting. My seasons of impatience seem to be accompanied by lack of trust on my part. Trust…a word God is definitely pounding into my brain this year. It’s a daily (sometimes hourly) surrender, isn’t it?
On yes! Hourly is sometimes very true. Like right now as I’m trusting my story to an agent and trusting God that if it’s the right time, it will come about. If not, then I still have more learning and growing to do before I’m ready and I’m going to have to be okay with that. So I will be. Because to be anything else will just be painful. 🙂