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A Lighter Look at the Writer's Life

Hurry! I Need Patience!

Don’t you love lessons in patience?

Me, neither.

Patience doesn’t come easy for me, so, when I became a Christian over 17 years ago, God began teaching me . . . I just wish He’d hurry!

Today seemed like Finals Week in His lesson plan.

First, I went to a fast food restaurant to get my wife some breakfast. They gave me a number, 141, and I watched as numbers passed me by . . . 142 . . . 143 . . . 148. As we got closer to 150, I got worried.

Next, I stopped at a popular retail store to get a key made for my son’s new car. I walked to the key counter at the back of the store, got the key made relatively easily, and walked back outside to try it. Of course, it didn’t work, so I made my way back inside and to the back of the store to the counter, where a man was purchasing a fishing license and supplies. He made Tim Conway’s “old man” character from the Carol Burnett Show look like the Flash.

When it was finally my turn, the lady examined the key, realized the wrong mold had been used and they were out of the one I needed.

I had to go back up front to the returns counter for a refund, and a long, slow-moving line awaited me there.

I returned home to do my son’s laundry from tennis camp. I had kept his bag closed all night because . . . well, you can imagine.

I worked up my courage, opened the bag, loaded the clothes and turned on the washer. Nothing happened. Turns out, my neighborhood was experiencing a water outage.

Due to this outage, I had to go to another local restaurant to get supper. After waiting for an interminable time, I got my food, but the order was wrong. More waiting.

Days like these make me want to drop out of “Patience 101,” but, unfortunately, it’s a required course.

Writing and publishing are a major part of this learning experience. I write, I submit, I wait. I get a rejection, I try again. And on and on.

Sometimes I have to step back and remember why I do what I do. It was God Who planted this dream of writing and publishing in my heart, and it is God Who will see it come to fruition, in His time and in His way.

But, man, I wish He’d hurry!

[bctt tweet=”Don’t you love lessons in patience? #writer @amwriting” via=”no”]

[bctt tweet=” I write, I submit, I wait. I get a rejection, I try again. #writerslife #author” via=”no”]

By Carlton Hughes - Lighter Look at Writer's Life

Carlton Hughes wears many hats. By day, he’s a professor of communication at Southeast Kentucky Community and Technical College. On Wednesday evenings and Sunday mornings, he does object lessons and songs with motions as Children’s Pastor of Lynch Church of God. In his “spare time,” he is a freelance writer whose work has appeared in numerous publications, including Chicken Soup for the Soul and several devotional books from Worthy Publishing—Let the Earth Rejoice, Just Breathe, So God Made a Dog, and Everyday Grace for Men. Carlton and his wife Kathy have two sons, Noah and Ethan, both of whom recently flew out of the nest, and a daughter-in-law, Kersyn. He is on the planning committee for Kentucky Christian Writers Conference and is a year-round volunteer for Operation Christmas Child. He is represented by Cyle Young of Hartline Literary Agency. His book Adventures in Fatherhood, a 60-day devotional co-authored with Holland Webb, will release in April 2020 from Worthy/Ellie Claire.

3 replies on “Hurry! I Need Patience!”

Great article, I was feeling your pain. Waiting is difficult but knowing that our last minute is Gods perfect timing helps me. Thanks for sharing

I usually say I need patience and want it right now. We’re still works in progress, aren’t we?

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