“Take the first step in faith, you don’t have to see the whole staircase, just the first step.” Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it. Matthew 7:13-14
Esoteric: “requiring or exhibiting knowledge that is restricted to a small group” Merriam-Webster Dictionary
It’s been said, and I’m sure you’ve heard, “The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” I think it’s more accurate to say that it begins with a “yes.” And I bet that right now you’re thinking this is going to be a message that could be summed up with Nike’s slogan of “Just Do It!” You’d be mistaken. It’s a message about doing the hard things. That doesn’t sound very encouraging though does it? But keep going. Everything good in my life has been a result of saying yes. I’m blessed with a job that required I say yes to basic training. Which for me seemed unknown and somewhat daunting. My life has been forever changed because my wife and I said yes to adoption. Even though we had no idea how we were going to do it. And what you’re reading now is a result of saying yes to God. Not knowing where it would lead and how much sleep I’d forgo. However, don’t mistake me for meaning that “yes” always leads to success. I’ve also gone through some troubles in my life as a result of saying yes. I won’t go into those right now, they’re not very uplifting or encouraging and their’s not much point. One thing I’ve leaned from those experiences however, is that, the easy yeses almost always lead to hard lessons. It’s the hard yeses that lead to reward. It’s easy to say yes to sex when you’re a teenager. I guarantee it will bring challenges. It’s easy to say yes to more money at work. Often that money comes at a much larger price. It’s easy to say yes to another drink. It’s not so easy figuring out how to recover from a DUI. I guess it comes down to this. Saying yes to receiving almost always comes with a cost, while saying yes to giving always brings reward. That’s why giving feels so good. That’s why we sleep better after a good day of hard work. And that’s why the greatest satisfaction is found in serving others. Remember how I just said saying yes to receiving “almost” always comes with a cost? There is something we can receive that brings it’s own reward. That is the grace of God through His Son Jesus. He is the only one that can freely give. We’ll never see the entire staircase of God’s plan for us, but taking the first step in faith with a “yes” makes all the difference. I’m reminded of the the famous lines of Robert Frost. “Two roads diverged in a wood and I-I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference.”
Daily Journaling Questions:
1. How did I help someone in kindness today?
2. What did I learn today?
3. What am I thankful for?
4. Who did I love today?
5. What am I dreaming of?
6. What about today do I want to remember forever?
7. What are my goals for tomorrow?
Thanks for reading,
Jake
YOU ARE READING
Daily Self Growth Journal Pt. IV
Non-FictionThis is the fourth part of a project called the "Daily Self Growth Journal." Its purpose is to prompt readers to journal through encouragement, motivation, and inspiration. In it, the first thing I do is provide a motivational, or inspirational qu...
