Divine Appointments: Cynthia Ruchti

Last year my conference volunteer responsibilities pressed into the appointment timeslots I’d been assigned. I knew I had to give them up and free those slots for someone else who needed them. It tugged at my heart to do so. Was I wasting two key opportunities? Throwing them away? No, I was serving the Lord and His people. I had to trust my writing and its future into His hands…again.

Two friends of mine had saved me a seat at lunch near the end of the conference. When I finally found them in the massive banquet hall, I had to smile. Not knowing what I’d had to give up, they’d been led to sit at a table with one of the very editors I’d wanted to pitch! I slid into the last available place at the table and enjoyed lunch hour conversation with the editor and other eager authors. The editor invited us all to pitch our projects to her during the meal. She gave some counsel to make the project a better fit for her house or steered them to the publishers interested in that genre. To some, she said those glorious words, “Send me the proposal. I’d like to read more.” And she handed us her business card there at the table.

It happened to more of us than just me, but I’ll always remember with awe finishing my one-line pitch and having the whole table, including the editor, say, “Oooooh!!!!”

One of the appointments I’d had to give up due to time constraints turned into a pitch with a cheering squad!

Due to divine appointments while waiting for the shuttle, the other appointment became unnecessary.

Treasure the gift of those editor/agent appointments at the conference. But don’t count on them. Count on the Lord whose imagination and resources have no bounds. Count on the God who will pull all the strings necessary to get your work into the hands of those with whom He intends you to partner for His glory.

Pressing on,

Cynthia Ruchti