Year 4-Day 8: Today, I am grateful for scary, good things. Last year...my one little word to focus on was "courage". I am a safety girl and like to be prepared. This year, my word is "vision". The purpose of choosing a word is to grow.
This Seth Godin quote seems a perfect combination of courage and vision.
"If it scares you, it might be a good thing to try."
What would you do if you could not fail? What might you learn, simply from breaking free of fear and trying something new. It is never too late and we are never too old.
Sewing...knitting...painting...cooking...camping...skiing...woodworking...gardening (my friend, Steve Baker, will start his soon...preparing the seedlings)...drawing...learn to swim...keeping a gratitude journal...creating a prayer room...upholstery...or maybe even reading through the Bible in one year.
Adventure is in us. Satan is the author of fear. Mr. Evil whispers failure in our ear (not to be confused with the goofy Earworm who typically sings...or the Holy Spirit who can be quite bossy as He guides us in truth) I do hope I am not the only one with several voices in my head. The point is...we must choose wisely. Which voice will we give our attention? How will we respond?
Today...we can choose to be grateful for the scary good things in our path. Embracing them...not avoiding them... gives a new fullness to life. Excitement is not just for the young. It is equally pleasurable to the young at heart. We can learn from watching the young embrace new experiences.
Remember...Noah was an old man when God called him to build an ark. Peter was a fisherman when Jesus said "Follow me"...and he went. Saul changed his name to Paul because his scary good choice meant he was no longer the same man.
Our God planted the seeds of adventure in our hearts...and then made a promise:
Isaiah 41:10 " Fear not, for I am with you;be not dismayed, for I am your God;
I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."
We are never alone. Love never fails...and God is love. Again the question: "What would we do if we could not fail?" What would we try if we didn't see failure as a destination but a school of learning?
Some fear success more than failure and perhaps that keeps them from growing and going (check out Jonah...a classic case).
Today, I am grateful...and challenged...by the scary good things.
No comments:
Post a Comment