Tell your story.
These are the words that I’ve heard quite often these days, words I can’t shake no matter how much I try to push it back or ignore them.
And I know that I should quickly obey, but I also know that I’m human and I worry about things too. I worry about not being good enough, not having a “strong enough” story to tell, or throwing someone else under the bus in telling that story.
So instead, my typical response is to shut down. Do nothing. It’s harder to be critical of myself or allow others to be if I don’t do anything. And all of the unknowns and fears typically win out in my head and the road of least resistance always seems to beckon just a little bit harder than the road to action.
So I think what I’ll do is this: proceed with caution. Make the first right move towards obedience and keep praying in the process to gain the strength, motivation, courage, and skills I need as I walk forward.
I think that there are times when God asks us to move forward and, if we’re hearing that, then we need to move forward. Certain moves require big, drastic steps (not discounting these) but I will say that sometimes what you really need to do is take the next right step (stolen from Emily Freeman). Seriously, make that first move.
Even baby steps move you forward. And I’ve found that once you get the ball rolling, it’s a lot easier to keep moving forward in that direction. You’ll grow, gain confidence, and gain more clarity for what’s next when you’re in action. There’s a phrase I constantly think about in my life that goes, “You can’t steer a ship that’s not moving” or something along those lines. I’m actually not sure where that’s from or who originally said it, but I know that it’s true.
A boat cannot be led in the right direction(s) if it’s sitting still. And neither can we.
Even during our waiting seasons, I still believe that we’re called to be taking action in the things that God calls us to in that season. It may not be what we want it to be, but we’re taking action and doing things in the meantime. We’re not just sitting on our hands waiting for what’s next.
One of my favorite verses in the Psalms is 90:12 that says “Teach us to number our days” and there is a lot to unpack in that verse but overall it teaches us to make the most of every single day that comes our way. And, for the record, that means in a Godly wisdom, Godly honoring kind of way.
None of us are promised tomorrow. Ready to make that move forward too? Join me as I ask God to help me “number my days” and make sure that I’m giving 100% to the present rather than living in the past, the future, or in fear.
