Just Start

Ever since I was young I loved to write. There's something about getting my thoughts and ideas down on paper that is therapeutic to me. Writing helps me process. It helps me see beyond myself and get to the source of my thoughts and actions. 

Since I love writing, I started a blog a couple of years ago. My blog was almost like a journal of the things that I was learning through the journey that the Lord had our family on. Sometimes it was practical, sometimes it was emotional, and other times it seemed kind of pointless, but I enjoyed it.

Somewhere along the way though, I quit blogging. It almost got frustrating because I could never get it perfect enough. I didn't have enough time in my life with 4 small kids and a business to sit down, proof-read, and edit it to perfection. It was never good enough and there were too many things in my life that I felt like I already wasn't doing perfectly that I couldn't add another one. 

Despite my love for writing, and the positive feedback that I was getting from people who did read my blog, my fear of it not being perfect caused me to not even try. 

Blogging is not the only area of my life where this has been the case. There have been instances in my marriage, being a mom, my business and even my friendships where I have let perfect be the enemy of good. 

With that said, I'm jumping back in the saddle, and I'm not going to let perfectionism keep me in fear or stop me from what I feel God has called me to do. I'm learning how to go for it even if it's not perfect because at least it's progress. And progress is something that should be celebrated.

I am so excited to share with you our journey and the ways that God is growing me. There is no way that I can adequately describe it. It's as if my spirit is experiencing growing pains. Sure, it's painful, but the results that I see in my life are incredible. Since I can't perfectly articulate these things it's tempting for me to not even try. But if I just start, if I just try to connect people to my journey, even if it's not perfect, someone might be able to relate, she might understand my struggle, and just maybe she'll start her own journey. 

In Matthew 25:14 we hear Jesus tell 'The Parable of the Talents'. This is one of my favorite bible stories because even though He was referring to a talent as a type of currency, I believe that Jesus is also referring to the talents that he places on the inside of us. I believe as we invest our talents into the kingdom of God; whether it's by being a greeter at church, by feeding the homeless, by preaching, or even by blogging that He sees us being faithful with what He entrusted us and in turn will multiply those talents. 

Even though our talents are multiplied, I don't think the feeling of us not being good enough ever goes away. My husband and I had the privilege of sitting in an intimate teaching session with Pastor Steven Furtick where he helped us understand why we always feel like we're not good enough. He communicated that as our ability grows, our capacity grows. This is why it feels like we are not making the type of progress we want to. It is only when we look back and examine what we have accomplished that we see the growth. Think of it as having 4 ounces of water in an 8 oz cup. If we pour more water into the cup we're going to need a new cup. We then have 8 ounces of water in a 16 oz cup. We actually have more, but we still feel half empty. 

Don't wait until your situation is perfect to get started. It will never be perfect. No matter where you are on your journey, there is always room for growth. Change your perspective from discouragement to celebration. Learn to celebrate the process. 

Maybe it's a relationship with Jesus Christ. Maybe it's a lifestyle change or a fitness journey. Maybe it's starting a family. Maybe it's jumping into a business venture. Just start. Whatever it is, trust the process, give into it, celebrate it. Fail forward. Be excited about the ways that God will grow you. Be excited to see all that God can do through you. If you don't start, you'll never know.