Waiting To Book L(a)unch

 

“Let’s have lunch when you can hold a fork.”

I had surgery on my hand at the beginning of May, and my friend gave me something to look forward to. A light at the end of the tunnel.

When the bandage comes off, when you can hold a fork, let’s have lunch.

I had the bandage off two days ago.

That’s 18 days of waiting to book lunch.

Perhaps some of us feel that we have a metaphorical 18 days waiting to Book Launch.

We write, and the day an actual book/blog/article appears may seem a long way off.

As I waited to book lunch, on the eve of my operation, I received a surprise message from Vicki Cottingham, who was on a retreat being led by Amy Boucher Pye:

‘We put names in a pot for people we would like to pray for. Your name was one I put in and yours was one of three which came out today. We prayed for your surgery tomorrow.’

On my operation day, I received two messages from Vicki:

‘We prayed for you again this morning.’

‘Your name was drawn from the pot this evening so we once again prayed for you.’

My name was drawn out, more than once, and as Amy said (in what I think is a wonderful phrase); That was a wink from God.

People prayed - not only those on the retreat - and I am so grateful.

As we wait to Book Launch, I encourage us to cover our writing with prayer.

 

As I waited to book lunch, I woke from surgery and was unable to move or feel my hand. With the benefit of experience, I was able to determinedly not panic (mostly). Perhaps function and feeling would return.

As we wait to Book Launch, there may be times when we are unable to write, words don’t flow, if words do come we immediately consign them to the delete-pronto pile.

In my experience, determinedly not panicking is helpful then, too. And perhaps, like my fork holding ability, words and inspiration will return.

Many other things happened as I waited to book lunch; there were highs and lows, frustrations and joys, times when I mastered doing things one handed and times when I didn’t master it at all.

I suggest we experience similar things during the writing process.

And, if we keep going, if we allow space for the flowing times and for the fallow times, in due course we might be able to Book/Blog/Social Media Post/Article Launch.

Let’s have lunch when you can hold a fork.

There’s a well-known story about someone holding onto their fork because they knew dessert was coming.

The best was yet to come.

“No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for 

those who love him.” 1 Corinthians 2:9

I’m off to book lunch….