Learning to Trust in God's Perfect Timing

The Importance of Trusting God's Timing

Trusting God's timing is a critical aspect of growing in faith. In a world driven by instant gratification, it can be a challenge to wait on the Lord and at times it may feel like God isn't listening. Sometimes God is listening, and the answer is simply - "no", "not yet", or "you're not ready". In the waiting, God is working. That waiting period may be exactly what you needed to grow or learn new things to get you ready for the next season in God's greater plan. The waiting is not just about the passing of time; it is an opportunity for personal and spiritual growth.

Trusting God's timing causes us to develop patience and resilience. It can be a time of reflecting and examining our goals to ensure they are aligned with God's word. Scripture reminds us that patience is more than a virtue; it reflects our faith in God’s greater plan. Psalms 27:14 emphasizes, "Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord." This verse is a perfect reminder of the strength that comes from placing our trust in the Lord.

When we try to force our own timeline on God's plans, we end up frustrated, confused, and disappointed. This is exactly how I felt when I was met with delay after delay in the road toward publication. I felt like I was dodging the enemy's flaming arrows at every turn. I began to question whether I was truly following God's will or my own. When I was in that waiting period, I didn't see the work that God was doing in my life or the doors He was opening for me. Only after the storm passed was I able to see the blessings that came from those delays, including acquiring a web domain, building my own website, and creating a 7-Day Scripture Guide to be included in my book. Aligning our goals with God's intentions allows us to surrender the need for control and embrace the journey with faith.

My Journey of Writing a Book: A Divine Nudge

The experience of being called to write a book is one that transformed my life profoundly. It began with a simple idea—a whisper in my heart that suggested I had a story worth sharing. As I pondered this notion, I felt an inexplicable pull towards the task, as if God Himself was guiding my thoughts and efforts. Despite my excitement, I grappled with moments of doubt. Who am I to write a book? Who would want to read our story? Would I truly be able to help anyone? What if I shared such deeply personal stories and they didn't resonate with anyone?

The initial step in this journey was to yield to the divine inspiration I felt. I set aside time each day for prayer, seeking clarity in this calling. The more I leaned into my faith and trusted the process, the more the pieces began to fall into place. Each time I sat at my desk, I felt a gentle nudge that pushed me to paint my ideas onto the page. I came to realize that every word I wrote was a step closer to fulfilling the purpose that had been laid upon my heart.

Challenges Faced During the Publishing Process

Navigating the self-publishing journey is filled with challenges that test not only one’s resolve but also one’s faith. Early in my publishing process, I encountered a brief delay when my editor's mother passed away unexpectedly that pushed back my initial timeline and filled me with uncertainty.

When I entered the production phase of the process, (which is the cover design and formatting stage), it was August of 2023. The two stages would be completed simultaneously and was expected to take six to eight weeks. Based on that timeline, I was looking at publishing to the public on my 50th birthday that October. Once again, the enemy slung his flaming arrows and tried to knock me off my path. While the formatting phase started out fantastic and I felt God had answered my prayers to send me someone who could provide the perfect interior for my book. I had approved the formatting for the print version (paperback & hardcover) and just needed to finalize the eBook formatting. That was the precise moment when my beloved formatter went on maternity leave to have her baby. Thankfully, the final changes for the book cover were completed and I silently launched advanced reader copies of my book to a small group.

I was hopeful that my alternate formatter wouldn't have any issues since the heavy lifting was essentially done. But the enemy was laser focused on casting his arrows and sowing doubt, frustration, and causing me to question whether I would ever see my book actually launch. I continued to pray for patience and asked God to increase my faith where I was weak. Each time I received an update from the new formatter, the previous corrections were fixed but then new ones were created! I pleaded with her to check her work before sending me the new file. In the meantime, the clock was ticking as my book was already set up for Pre-Order on Amazon!

I eventually had to load the fourth version of my eBook to KDP knowing there were errors in the file but cancelling would have me banned from publishing on KDP for one year. It was during this period of limbo that I began to wrestle with doubt and frustration, questioning whether my project would ever come to fruition. Finally, after the sixth version of updates to my eBook, I had a clean copy to upload to KDP. I missed my target publishing date by nearly a month.

It was in these tough moments that I had to remind myself of the importance of God's timing. I realized that while I was striving to hit a specific launch date according to my schedule, there were larger forces at play teaching me the value of patience and endurance. Each obstacle became a lesson in resilience, demonstrating how faith can provide strength to persevere when external challenges seem impossible.

These adversities highlighted that when we wait on the Lord, His perfect timing leads to outcomes that are beyond anything we could have imagined. This journey reinforced my belief in trusting God’s timing. I recognized that each setback brought me closer to my goals in ways I could never have anticipated.

The Triumph of Faith: Launching My Book

After months of dedication and perseverance, the moment finally arrived: the launch of my first book! My launch day landed the week of Thanksgiving 2023. It could not have been a more perfect time of year to present the result of my hard work to the world. Not only was it the Sunday directly before Black Friday shopping, but it was also just in time for the holiday shopping season!

Launch day was nothing short of exhilarating. One of the highlights of this memorable day was that, by the grace of God, I had secured a spot to advertise on the stunning Duffy Square Jumbo Tron where my book was featured at noon on my launch date. The anticipation in the air was palpable as friends, family, and fellow church supporters gathered to watch this significant milestone play on the TSX livestream. Watching my hard work projected larger than life in the heart of New York City was surreal. It felt like a confirmation that my efforts were bearing fruit, and that God had indeed orchestrated each step along the way.

When I initially set the goal for my book, I could not have imagined the warm reception it would receive. In just six weeks, I managed to sell an impressive 144 copies (not including the 60 free eBook copies downloaded as part of my launch). The sense of accomplishment that came from this success was more than just a number; it was a manifestation of the countless hours spent writing, editing, and praying for purpose and clarity. The experience not only reinforced my belief that patience is having faith in God's timing, but it also inspired me to encourage others in their own endeavors. By trusting in the process and remaining steadfast in faith, divine possibilities truly become realities.

Share Your Thoughts

Have you struggled with trusting God's timing? I would love to hear your testimony! Email me at heartmom@prayerfulwarrior.com or click on "Contact" from the Menu above.