Afraid

"I have learned over the years that when one's mind is made up, this diminishes fear; knowing what must be done does away with fear." Rosa Parks

In order to face the world, does purpose have to be clear? Why are we so confounded by our place, our meaning, and our untold story? I think so many of us are so tired of asking, "What do you want me to do God??? Just tell me - I'll go! Just give me a glimpse, a clue! I'll go. I promise I'll go. Anything. Please God, where are you?" Ecclesiastes teaches us that purpose is not static. A time to weep and laugh, to keep to throw away, to seek and to lose. Does a clear path even exist? How did Rosa Parks know what to do???


"I did not want to be mistreated, I did not want to be deprived of a seat that I had paid for. It was just time... there was opportunity for me to take a stand to express the way I felt about being treated in that manner. I had not planned to get arrested. I had plenty to do without having to end up in jail. But when I had to face that decision, I didn't hesitate to do so because I felt that we had endured that too long. The more we gave in, the more we complied with that kind of treatment, the more oppressive it became." Rosa Parks

So what did Rosa start out doing that was so phenomenal? How did she go from being fearful to being the civil rights leader that she is hailed for?

She simply took a step forward. Does it really matter how or where we step forward? Does God really care about the details when we are first learning to walk? As we begin to overcome fear and take steps forward, walking becomes easier. Soon, we're able to run. Then race. Then see the finish.

At 23, I'm finally beginning to understand that while I'm waiting for God to give me an answer, there are people going hungry, women being broken, lives being torn apart, war ravaging families and tearing apart loved ones, and hatred being spread. While I sit and ponder, pray for clarity, and grow tired of waiting for an answer, life gets comfortable. While I was worrying, I could have faced the fear of becoming.

So what does God want? Stop listening. (Listen, but not the point that it cripples you.) Stop worrying. Stop daydreaming. Stop wasting time. Act. God wants us to act. He equipped us with certain talents. Tools to build up others, tools to create change, tools to help others heal. Let's get to work! Let's use our voices, our instruments, our hands, our compassion, our artwork, our intelligence, and all of our gifts - and let's start moving forward.