Why We Grow Weary in the Journey

“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Galatians 6:9”

I started on my writing journey enthusiastic, bright-eyed and hopeful. That was six years ago. Now, at times I’m weary, blurry-eyed, and discouraged. Why?

What takes a determined person and zaps the life from her dreams? Is it the struggles we face along the way? The obstacles we must overcome? Or is it the lack of results?

While I’ve had successes in my writing career, I’m starting to wonder if it’s enough to sustain me. Yes, editors have been interested, even enthusiastic about my ideas over the last six years, but that enthusiasm has ended in a rejection. Yes, I have an awesome, encouraging agent, but my two manuscripts haven’t sold (no fault of his).

People tell me to be patient. I encourage others to be patient. But sometimes I wonder why soome grow weary and why some people eventually quit…

I’m convinced it’s a lack of results. Apply it to any other area of life: take my weight loss journey which I began anew this January. I did all the right things. I said my daily surrender statement, exercised, watched what I ate, but the scale didn’t cooperate. I calculated that if I did everything right, I would lose 2 lbs. a week. By the end of the first month I lost 2 lbs. Not my original goal, but I persevered through the next month, slacking a little in my enthusiasm, still exercising, though not as faithful with my eating on the weekends. At the end of March, according to my original plan, I should’ve been 21lbs. lighter. I wasn’t. Why? Because my lack of results killed my enthusiasm. It can be discouraging to keep doing the hard things and persevering without results.

Take a look in the Bible. Abraham was so discouraged when a son wasn’t born to Sarah that he took things into his own hands which ended in disaster. T he same thing happened throughout his family line and throughout the Bible. Discouragement due to lack of results produced a lack of faith.

It’s hard to persevere when our time table is light years ahead of God’s, when we think we know best and our timing is perfect. It’s hard to keep going without results. Little encouragements along the way like getting an agent or losing a few pounds help, but in the end what makes us stick it out?

The good news is, when results arent’ there, we can have faith. As that verse in Galations says:

“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Galatians 6:9”

Let’s not give up or get discouraged. Let’s keep at it, strong in faith.

For me, for now, faith is enough.

Is it enough for you?