Hi there! Sherry Kyle here, writing from California. There
are a lot of exciting things happening in my writing life, one of which is
joining this wonderful group of like-minded authors at CAN. I’m so glad to be a
part. Another wonderful event is the release of my new book, The Christian Girl’s Guide to Style, for
tween girls on September 30. I can’t tell you how much I’ve been looking
forward to its arrival. But something else besides writing and books has been
consuming my thoughts. Family. Husband. Children. Siblings. Parents. Let me backtrack just a little.

I had the privilege to go to the ACFW Conference this year.
In fact, I went a couple days early to adjust to the 3-hour time difference. I
enjoyed getting to know some new writing friends and get some much-needed time
to myself before the conference began. By the end, I was ready to go home. I
felt invigorated to apply all the writing knowledge I had acquired, but I was
also exhausted. You know that tired feeling we all get from too much travel,
social interaction, and brain stimulation. After arriving at my door, I
literally jumped into the shower and readied for bed.

As I wiggled into my pajamas, the phone rang. My
mother-in-law was taken to the ER because of a fall, and while she was being
examined, she had a stroke and a seizure. The prognosis wasn’t good. She needed
brain surgery to remove the blood pooling inside her head. In that instant, my
families’ lives changed. I didn’t unpack my bags for almost a week as my
husband and I spent our days in the hospital. And she still hasn’t woken up. So
we wait.

As writers, we do a lot of waiting. We wait for a response
to our latest query, to find the right agent, and for the call of a book
contract. After publication, we wait to hear our sales numbers and if we’re
going to be published again. And when life happens, we wait in anticipation to
get back to the keyboard to write the stories of our hearts. 

Psalm 27:14 says, “Wait for the Lord; be strong and take
heart and wait for the Lord.”

What has happened in your life recently to put the brakes on
your writing?

Or are you simply waiting to hear from an editor or agent?

Remember, be strong and take heart! God’s timing is perfect.