Ten-year-old Grace knew exactly what she wanted to be—an author. I had been writing stories since I was about six years old, and I finally decided to send one of them to a publisher. On a single piece of notebook paper, I wrote a story called “The True Hero” about a girl who is disappointed when she meets her favorite celebrity, who turns out to be rude and self-centered. The girl in the story realizes that she can’t put her faith in celebrities and that only God deserves her trust.
I submitted that story to David C. Cook, a Christian publisher based in Colorado Springs, Colorado. I actually received a response letter from them, noting that they couldn’t publish it but thanking me for sending it to them. I still have that letter.
Fast forward over a decade to 2022. Last year, my first book was published. It’s a Christian nonfiction book about my eating disorder recovery journey called Real Recovery: What Eating Disorder Recovery Actually Looks Like.
So in a way, my childhood dream came true. But there’s still a deep longing in my heart to write—to be a more famous, more successful author. I dream about writing a bestseller and having multiple publishers approach me to ask, “Will you write a book for us?”
The Big Dreamers
As writers, we have big dreams—dreams to become published authors, write for specific publishers and publications, and have millions of people read our writing. We don’t want to settle for anything less than the very best. We shoot for the stars until we reach them.
But what my 10-year-old self with big dreams didn’t know about writing was this: being a writer comes with many disappointments. Since my writing journey began, I’ve submitted book proposals to countless publishers and literary agents. I’ve sent articles and posts to countless websites, blogs, and magazines. I’ve asked to speak at countless conferences and events. And countless people, publications, and ministries have told me “no” (if they even bothered to respond to my inquires at all).
So if being writers—especially writers with big dreams—means that we’ll continually face disappointment, how do we persevere?
Better Than Fame
Truth be told, perseverance isn’t just about putting on a brave face; it’s about being brave. And we can only be brave when we place our trust in someone greater than ourselves.
An arrogant man stirs up strife, but he who trusts in the Lord will prosper.He who trusts in his own heart is a fool, but he who walks wisely will be delivered. (Proverbs 28:25-26 NASB1995)
God’s version of “prosper” may look different than ours, as we typically equate success with fame—with people desiring to meet us, read our writing, and hear us speak. But when I think back to that first story I submitted for publication as a little girl, I remember the truth: success (and the fame that we typically equate it with) can quickly lead to self-reliance, self-importance, and self-centeredness.
God’s version of success is deeper, richer, and certainly more satisfying than our version of fame—temporary, shallow, and unpredictable. As we trust Him, He will bring true success. Thus, our goal as we persevere through the hardest disappointments (and the biggest wins) should be to walk—and write—with wisdom and with reliance on Him.
Grace McCready enjoys spending time with her family, hanging out with friends, and watching her favorite TV shows. She is the author of Real Recovery: What Eating Disorder Recovery Actually Looks Like. She shares personal stories + Scripture to encourage young women at her blog, Tizzie’s Tidbits of Truth.
Ruth Clemence 