Will My Book Be Published? Who Knows?

What are the odds that my book will be published or even picked up for representation by a Literary Agent?  Pretty low.  I am aware of that, and yet I am still making an attempt to get my manuscript printed.   I am also hopeful.  It is just a part of who I am; I can’t help but be optimistic.  I am also confident that things will work out with another aspect of my life causing some stress.  My current HOA is hounding us about our yard and the lack of grass, even though we are in a draught and under water restrictions.  They want to fine us and aren’t giving us much time to fix things.  I am positive that this situation will be resolved amicably and in our favor.  Why am I so sanguine?  Because I have seen amazing things happen to not so amazing people.  It is how my God likes to work. 

Every day we encounter things that can send us into worried frenzies.  Some things are huge, and some things are minute.  From there’s a gnat in my lip gloss (thank you Beth Moore) to a 2 month old losing a lung (current worry for my husband’s coworker), we experience exasperations and anxiety daily.  It’s a part of life.  It’s how we react to these things that truly matters.  Will we let the latest difficulty pull us down and out?  Will we constantly worry and nervously await a response from a publisher or agent until it consumes us?  Will the possibility of our HOA fining us a ridiculous amount of money when we can’t do anything about the current climate aggravate us to the point of uncontrollable anger?  I hope not; for in God I hope.

Have you ever realized how many times the words “who knows?” are in the Bible?  I know of at least three.  What are these words referring to?  Three separate people telling the others around them that God could change his mind and relent, have pity, be gracious.  These three people spend time on their knees, on their faces, in tears, in sackcloth (a sign of humility), and fasting in hopes that God will see their actions and have mercy.  It is what they decided to do when they were faced with horrible news and extreme anxiety.  They said, “who knows” God could fix this.  In two out of the three cases He did just that.  I bet they were glad they asked.

So…who knows?  Maybe my book will be published someday.  Maybe my recent stress about our HOA will be resolved.  Maybe the little boy will be healed and do well after the surgery.  Who knows?  God knows, and I believe he wants all people to come to know Him and believe.  Sometimes we may be going through something just so that God can do something powerful and show how much He cares.  Hopefully we are reminded just to ask.  One king did, and it resulted in the biggest restoration in all of history.