31 Days of Progress Day 17 :: About Taking That Next Step

October has been all about progress, just moving forward, taking the next step {whether it’s a baby step or a giant leap}. If you’re like me, thinking about everything that needs to be done, everything you want to do, everything God’s calling you to do, and everything you dream of doing can be pretty overwhelming. When you look too much at the big picture it just seems too huge sometimes – maybe even impossible. I can even get that feeling just thinking about everything that needs to be done at home, let alone outside these walls!

Jesus looked hard at them and said, “No chance at all if you think you can pull it off yourself. Every chance in the world if you trust God to do it.”
Matthew 19:26, The Message

I think we tend to believe this only applies to the big things…but I think it’s a good reminder for the small, seemingly endless everyday things, too. Recognition that we need to depend on God daily to be successful in living His purpose for our lives is what faith is all about.  Isn’t that freeing? It can be, if we let it.

Recently I took a sort of moderate-sized step that I can’t share with you yet, but hope to be able to soon!  It might not work out, but if it does could be a really great little blessing for more than just me.  What if I hadn’t stepped out and tried to make it happen?  There’s a phrase in sales, “Make the Ask.”.  The only way you can ensure something will fail is if you never try.  I heard once that if you fall flat on your face, at least you know you were moving in the right direction 🙂

You may not think this footprints in the sand photo is beautiful, but I know why it is…

…I took this photo of my own footprints on an Indian Ocean beach 4 years ago.  I was provided the opportunity for a short term mission trip to the continent of Africa. We spent about half our time in Kenya and the other half on an Indian Ocean island. When faced with the opportunity did fears almost immediately surface? Sure. Did I have doubts? A couple.  But, I didn’t have to pray too long before I jumped in with both feet {haha, kind of punny, huh?}. It was truly the experience of a lifetime.  What if I had surrendered to the little fears? What if I had “reasoned” myself out of it?  Today, looking back, I can’t even imagine having said no.

I love this quote that I shared on Day 1:

Every day you may make progress. Every step may be fruitful. Yet there will stretch out before you an ever-lengthening, ever-ascending, ever-improving path. You know you will never get to the end of the journey. But this, so far from discouraging, only adds to the joy and glory of the climb.
Sir Winston Churchill

I hope and pray you are making progress today…whether tiny baby steps, or giant leaps of faith!

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