Steps

Blake and his brother Sam, our youngest grandson spent the weekend with us last week. Sam had just celebrated his first birthday and we are waiting day by day for him to take his first "table" free steps. He walks around tables, he pushes around his push cart, and straddles any furniture in sight....but he remains teetering on his toes holding loosely to steady unmovable objects. He has not yet mustered up the confidence to go out on his own without leaning on the crutches that he is so familiar with. He has the support of an attentive audience, and under the watchful eye of mom....and one day he will gather up the courage and have enough incentive to pursue his ultimate goal...but it will be on his time and though all the convincing and encouragement has its merit....it has to be by his will alone that he will persevere ( a big word for a one year old). And usually that "will" will be preceded by a greater "want". He will "want" something bad enough and fast enough to forgo 1) the fear of falling and 2) the apprehension of stepping out on a new ability that he will launch his debut attempt to walk on two rather than crawl on four.

This is a true analogy for many of us. We get comfortable doing what we know works...even if what we are doing is crawling through the daily routines without any initiative, motivation, or incentive to be better or get better. We are hesitant to push ourselves to explore the gifts that God has given us that continue to remain dormant through the years....or to recognize the ones we are casually using but not squeezing the most out of.

Baby steps....I truly believe that sometimes the hardest part of approaching anything new is taking the first step. Just making your mind up to start. And start with a driven mentality that even if we don't know the outcome (which we seldom do)...we will never gain any momentum if we don't try. One of my favorite quotes that I heard in a sermon over twenty years ago was "God doesn't drive a parked car!" And I can not tell you how many times I have incorporated that very
mentality in my life. Just start....yes we are going to fall...but we have to get up again and try again....and have a true desire to accomplish a purposed goal.

Which brings me to another point: goals...my daughter Molly recently told me a story of a friend who has five goals posted above his desk. The goals were his personal ones relating to what he wanted to pursue both academically and spiritually. He is a young man and just hearing the story made me think about my goals...what are they and have I posted them ...either in my heart or for my eyes to see. The answer is no. And the deal is if I have no
clarified goals then where does my incentive come from? I have started thinking ...if I had to write down five goals....what would they be...and would they all be personal or would they be about relationships or jobs, or serving others, or would one of them be to seek God's purposes for my life and ask God help me to clarify the goals that HE has for my life. I am quite sure his goals though they would be lofty would be accomplished only by baby steps of faithful obedience in seeking his will.

Baby steps toward any desire or clarified goal are what gets us going...but we have to be motivated enough to pursue with confidence something that is worthy....and too many times we settle...we settle for mediocre...and settle for the line of least resistance (that used to be my mom's favorite line when we were being lazy). It is imprinted on my mind!

Our confidence often times teeters...sometimes strong fueled with incentives sometimes weakened by failures or just plain fear. But the confidence that comes from Christ is unwavering....it is based on a trust in God! That he is working in us and through us and is paying attention to us and all that we do. For God will stop us or turn us or detour us or give us the strength to carry on through the many challenges and obstacles that are before us....if we seek his way and hos will. We are destined for continued disappointment and failure is we try to go at it alone. If only we faithfully submit to God's lead, his direction and his desires for each of us, then we will give us the fortitude and the perseverance to carry on and take the risk of trying something new....and even if we fall, he will help us right back up and we will begin start again until we accomplish the goals that he has set for us.

God does not drive parked cars...and we can toddle around and hang on to the secured objects that are before us.... but we have to first make a decision are we content to just busy up and entertain ourselves and follow the line of least resistance or do we want to be better. If we want the most out of life we have to be willing to walk on our own two feet faithfully and let go of our comforted crutches and be confident that God is watching, God is leading, and God is able to help us be better through the gifts that he has packaged us with...some (gifts) we know we have some we don't and they are found when we try new ventures.

As far as dealing with goals once I have identified them:

If it is courage I need ... I ask God
If it is strength I need.... I ask God
If it is direction I need.. .I ask God
If it is encouragement I need... I ask God
If it is motivation I need... I ask God
If it is incentive I need....I need to look around and take my eyes off of self....and God will lead me to His desires.

Dear Lord, As I set out today on routine errands and such, please open my mind to discern your direction and clarify your goals for my life. Help me to be willing to just start moving and get out of neutral...and know that baby steps are one by one steps that bring me closer to you. Steer my course according to your will. Help me to pursue the one posted goal that is clear in my heart and in my mind and that goal to seek your will....and then act accordingly. Amen

Praise God wherever you are and whatever situation He has allowed you to be in . . . His glory will shine through!