Too often we want the squeaky clean success without first trudging through the dirt.
Ironically enough, if we focus on that dirt—the here and now—it doesn’t feel so dirty anymore. We don’t feel so utterly lost when we take it one step at a time; it’s only when we look up and see that we have an entire sea to cross that we lose our nerve of putting one foot in front of the other. When the disciple Peter found himself walking on that water toward Jesus, he made the mistake that I have made over and over again: he focused on how far he had to go, rather than accepting the journey Jesus had given him to walk out (Matthew 14:22-33). Let’s face it: Peter couldn’t have walked on that water without Jesus giving him the ability to do so. When we worry about what might or could happen, the beauty of the moment is under-appreciated and life-changing opportunities are missed.
– Shannon Sundeen, Sojourners7
