What would you do if you truly believed all things are possible with God?
Early this morning, while I was still up wrestling with the symptoms of a sinus infection I am fighting, I made a decision to jump into the middle of the river. No, I am not planning on literally getting wet, but figuratively, I am in up to my neck and it feels great!
Since my second year of college, I wanted to write. I would occasionally toy with the idea, read a few books and scribble a few words, then the words of high school teachers and my own inner monologue would begin to remind me of what I could not do well, and I would lose heart. I enjoyed writing my term papers, newsletter articles and for a season, wrote a regular inspirational column for our college paper, but I could not see myself as a writer.
Recently, I gave myself permission to write and to fail, but to enjoy a passion I believe God put within me. It started with some poetry, then the first pages of this blog, and this morning, I made the decision to jump into the NaNoWriMo. So everyone understands, NaNoWriMo stands for National Novel Writing Month. The goal is to write a 50,000 word novel between November 1st and November 30th, and yes, I am starting 11 days late, but I want to try.
Too often, we are afraid to take risks. Something deep within us wants to step out in faith and experience more, but our fear encourages us to settle where we are and let go of our dreams. That does not sound much like the abundant life Jesus promised and it does not reflect the heart of someone who claims the words, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Walking with God is all about taking risks and believing all things are possible.
Sure, there are numerous excuses that range from “I don’t have the talent, resources, or time” to “Why set myself up to fail, when I can succeed at what I am already doing,” but are those the words we want to listen to? Sometimes, our words sound very believable, but they lack the music of faith that stretches us to be all that we were meant to be in Christ.
When I was in one of my interviews for the ordination process, I was asked what I do to keep my mind sharpened. I told the team that I made a commitment when I finished seminary to read a book every week. My schedule was full during my education and I was able to maintain that amount of reading, so why stop when the formal training was over?
One of the interviewers suggested that since I might not make 52 books in a year, maybe I should set my goal for twelve. That way, I would always achieve my goal and I would feel better about myself. While I understood the sentiment, my response was simple: aiming for twelve and achieving it, was still not as successful or enjoyable as aiming for 52 and reading 40. It was safer, but not better.
What would you do, if you believed God is with you and you could not fail? What passion is burning deep within you waiting for you to embrace the risk and take the first step? Even if you do not make your goal, wouldn’t it be worth trying?
God made you unique and put dreams inside you. Maybe, now is the time to trust God and take the first steps toward achieving those dreams. It could be that you begin with some small actions and build momentum or, like me this morning, you may just decide to dive right into the middle of a flowing stream and enjoy the ride. What I know is that I have a smile on my face and I am having fun. I am following a dream and that brings joy. I may not finish, but I’ll still be glad I tried and now, I only have 49,210 words to go.
Whatever your dream, let me encourage you to; “Come on in! The water’s fine and it is fun! Best of all, God is here!” Be blessed as you walk by faith today.
