For at least a year, I’ve talked about the things I believed God was saying to me about a change of seasons that was coming. In July of 2025, in the blog titled My Epiphany, I shared that the Holy Spirit had made it clear that when the projects we were working on were finished, I was to transition out of writing books.

Then on March 12, 2026, after a time apart at Fresh Grounds, I shared in my blog, A Change of Seasons, the direction I felt I was to go in. After “building an altar” in my journal at Fresh Grounds, surrendering every aspect of my life to God, I wrote in my journal the next day,

I had no answer about the next season when I left Fresh Grounds yesterday, but I woke up this morning with a “knowing” in my spirit that I was to send out letters and one sheets to pastors/churches in our surrounding area telling them I was available to do messages for congregations and women’s groups. Some of the pastors and churches know us from our music ministry years ago and from our days of visiting churches as OMS missionary candidates.

I followed through on that, sending out many letters and One Sheets to pastors in churches in the surrounding area. One pastor responded promptly thanking me for the information and saying they would keep it when future opportunities became available. But other than that, there has been a deafening silence which I’ve tried to ignore.

But on April 27, I wrote in my journal, “Still no speaking engagements from all the letters/one sheets I sent out. So discouraging.”

A few days ago, I reread in my journal how the Lord spoke to me through my quiet time that morning. In The Upper Room, the devotional, People of the Resurrection, had my name written all over it as I read:

How often do our dreams seem to go no where? When it looks like hope has been crushed and everything is bleak, we are tempted to admit defeat. But we are people of resurrection. On Easter morning, the stone was rolled away, and the risen Christ stepped out leaving His grave clothes behind. That is our hope and assurance. Our trials are not the final story. Rather trials provide a chance for a new start. Because of Jesus, we are not defeated; we are people of resurrection.

Then I wrote in my journal,

 Thank you, Father, for this timely devotional. I am tempted to give up and admit defeat, but you say we are not people of hopelessness and despair. You say our trials are not the final story but rather trials provide a chance for a new start. You say, Because of Jesus, we are not defeated. The hard part is that I believed I was doing what you told me to do, but there has been no fruit. Help me not to give up.

This reminds me of once long ago, I got up in the middle of the night so discouraged—I don’t remember why. I went downstairs and turned on the television just in time to hear a speaker say, “Don’t put a period where God has only put a comma.” Help me, Jesus!

That evening when Donn and I had our prayer time, the Daily Bread devotional also spoke clearly to me. It was called Yielded and Still and told about Adelaide Pollard who, at the age of 40, felt a strong calling to be a missionary to Africa, but that door was closed to her, leaving her greatly discouraged, yet she was reminded of a verse, Like clay in the hand of the potter, so are you in my hand,” (Jeremiah 18:6). Later, she penned a hymn with these lyrics, Thou art the Potter, I am the clay.

This is a picture of how God reshapes us into His better purpose. Whatever we think we should do and be, God may have another shape for our lives. “Like clay in the hand of the Potter, so are you in my hand.”

Eventually, Adelaide did go to Africa, but it may be that God’s shape for her life had more to do with other things—perhaps writing that hymn, Have Thine Own Way, which has inspired millions in the years since. When we feel “on hold,” in what we want to do, we might think about how God is shaping us in the meantime. We do well to let God have His own way and wait, “yielded and still,” for His greater purpose.

How do you feel discouraged in your life goals today? How might you let God have His way with your life?

The next day on my desk calendar that I keep on my vanity, I read:

God is looking for any yielded heart, any member of the body of Christ who will be like clay in the hands of the Master Potter, any lump of clay that will allow God to form a holy vessel for his own purpose.

Then I wrote in my journal,

Wow! I hear you, Father. I do feel “on hold” as I wait futilely for invitations to respond to my One Sheets and letters.

In May I had two book events and one speaking engagement, so we’ve been busy. This week is the first time in a very long time that I have nothing book related on our calendar and no messages or books to work on. The temptation to start a new writing project is strong.

I empathize with Simon Peter who said in John 21:3, “I’m going fishing,” following Jesus’ resurrection and during a period of uncertainty. It’s obvious that Peter didn’t have a clue what sort of ministry Jesus would have now or how he would fit into it, just as I have no idea what God’s plan is to prepare me for this new season. I understand why Peter might want to go back to his old way of life, something with which he was very familiar, just as I’m tempted to start a new book!

As I attempt to wait “yielded and still,” for direction, I covet your prayers.

Heavenly Father, being on the Potter’s wheel has never been a place I would choose to be, but neither do I want to forge a path of my own in any direction until you have prepared me for the next season. Amen.