The Waiting, The Testing, and The Writing: A Journey with My Return to Egypt
by Jennifer Greene-Sullivan
What do you do when all your projects are lined up, and there’s no immediate “booking” to do today? You research for another one.
I have a hard time staying focused on longer book projects—I tend to get overwhelmed if I don’t break them into smaller chunks. So today, I find myself studying and researching for My Return to Egypt, a book that is still in the early stages of development.
I don’t yet know exactly how the Holy Spirit wants me to proceed with this book. All I know is that I am mapping out Moses’ life, studying Exodus, and making parallels between Moses and Jesus—and the Holy Spirit is revealing so much!
A Journey of Testing and Trusting
While I research, I realize I’m also in a season of testing—not just in my writing, but in my faith. The testing stage is a quiet place, a waiting room where faith grows, much like Moses experienced during his 40 years in Midian before returning to Egypt.
This book is different for me. It’s an adult nonfiction Bible study/memoir hybrid—something I’ve never written before. My usual comfort zone is children’s books, devotionals, and blog posts. But My Return to Egypt? It is something entirely new.
I feel stretched. I feel unqualified. But I also feel called.
Scriptures on Waiting and Patience
🌿 Psalm 27:14 (NIV) – “Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.”
🌿 Lamentations 3:25-26 (NIV) – “The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him; it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.”
🌿 Isaiah 40:31 (NIV) – “But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.”
🌿 Habakkuk 2:3 (NIV) – “For the revelation awaits an appointed time; it speaks of the end and will not prove false. Though it linger, wait for it; it will certainly come and will not delay.”
🌿 James 1:3-4 (NIV) – “Because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”
🌿 Galatians 6:9 (NIV) – “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”
Application & Challenge: Learning to Wait While Writing
As a writer, my biggest struggle is planning and organizing. I thrive in the creative moment, in the rawness of the words, but structure? That takes discipline. And maybe, that’s why I’m in this waiting phase—because the Holy Spirit isn’t just writing a book through me; He is writing a lesson inside of me first.
Moses had to wait 40 years before his return to Egypt. Jesus waited 30 years before beginning His public ministry. Waiting isn’t wasted time—it is preparation.
📝 Challenge:
- If you are in a waiting season, ask God what He wants to teach you in this time.
- Journal your thoughts as you read over the scriptures above.
- Pray for wisdom and patience as He molds you during this process.
Prayer: Trusting in the Waiting
Father, I thank You for the waiting seasons. Even when I don’t fully understand what You are doing, I trust that You are preparing my heart, my hands, and my mind for what is next. You do not waste time; You redeem it.
I pray for patience in this process. Help me not to rush ahead of Your timing, but instead to abide in You. Strengthen my faith, grow my endurance, and let my heart be set fully on You.
Lord, I surrender My Return to Egypt and everything You are leading me to write. Let it not be my words, but Yours. Mold me like the potter molds clay, shaping me for Your glory and purpose.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen.
Final Thoughts
And so, I sit in this season of research and learning.
And I trust.
Because even when I don’t know exactly where this book is going, I know who is leading it.
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The Aging English Major 