Tripping Over Typeset

It’s that time of year when, for at least one day, the sun is bright and the temp is comfortably warm. My greatest desire right now is to pull out the deck furniture and take in the sunshine. The risk is that tomorrow the wind will blow, the sky will be grey, and snow will blanket the ground.

Last week I watched as my daffodils began popping up from their dark cozy nesting places. I whispered to them, “Go back! The snow isn’t finished… it will ravage us again!”

And those words came true. Just two days from my whisperings I woke to 9 inches of winter white stuff covering all the buds of spring.

I have lived here long enough to know that spring can be a long time coming. A few nice days sprinkled here and there are not definitive signs that it’s time to bring out the hammocks and deck chairs. Yet a few days after that latest snow covering, I was tromping through what was left when I spotted brave daffodil buds still making their way.

I whispered again, “You are so brave. You keep growing even when covered over again and again.”

I am not always that brave.

I’m not a “Take Chances! Live Bravely!” kind of girl. I wish I were and I’m growing to be but I’m not there yet. And maybe you’re there, too.

• We like to stay comfy and cozy in what we know before venturing to the unknown.
• We like the questions answered and the details known before taking chances.

But life doesn’t give us that. Taking chances is where we learn. Growth happens when we pop out and try new things even when we could get mowed down or covered over.

There’s something good about living brave, growing past the difficult and putting ourselves out there. Yes, we may risk being covered over again but we’re still alive and kicking! The first hard part of breaking through the comfortable toward something new is taking those first steps and doing it! And yes, it won’t all be sunshine and easy but getting started shows we’re that much further than we were before. We’re not finished but we are closer to blooming.

Growth takes work. It takes pushing through the difficult and getting out there.

WE CAN BE BRAVE!

Yet fear likes to keep us buried. Our potential is there but it’s covered up.

There will never be a time when the circumstances will be perfect. There will always be risk. Yet we have to be brave enough to risk it!

For those daffodils, there was the risk of snow and cold weather coming again but they pushed forward anyways.

I can often stop myself from moving forward with thoughts like, Not yet or I’m not ready or What if I fail? And the longer I ponder, the longer I stay buried. The opportunity passes and I kick myself for not taking the chance and being brave.

Yet this is what I’m learning — Kicking myself and beating myself up for missed chances doesn’t help me and it’s no way to grow. Instead, I’m learning to get back up, move forward and just go for it! We need to take those chances and break out of the safe, small and comfortable.

God will do exceedingly and abundantly more than we can imagine or ask when we step out in faith and believe for more. We can trust Him, believe His good plans AND believe in ourselves.

Who knows what new and exciting adventure awaits us when we do!

Today I’m taking that chance! I dragged out the deck decor and I’m taking in the sun. Tomorrow it may be covered with a dusting of winter but today I’m risking it and enjoying what’s here! It’s worth it.

Be Brave. Get Going. Our opportunity to bloom is out there.

Let’s go get it!

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Jump into the conversation:

• What holds you back from moving forward?
• What great opportunities are you leaving your comfort zone for?
• What next brave step forward are you going to take?

I’d love to cheer you on so share in the comments below and let’s grow together!