Monday, November 1, 2010

Don’t burn out the clutch…


“OK, first you push in the clutch. Now shift it in gear. Now ease off the clutch. Not all at once or you’ll stall it. Ease off just a tad and while you’re doing that (as if my mind didn’t already have enough going on inside it), with your other foot gently, I said ‘gently,’ start reviving the engine.”

These easy to understand, hard to comprehend instructions, were repeated many times over by my mom as we sat in an idling car in a deserted parking lot in Austin, Texas; she trying to maintain her sanity, and I, trying to learn how to drive a stick shift.
At that time in my life, 20-plus years ago, just about all I had in mind was the big picture of what I wanted for my life: freedom; independence and a clear stretch of highway.

What I didn’t realize at the time was that what my mother was teaching me was a series of steps that would help turn my big picture perspective into a reality.

That sounds a little bit like life, don’t you think?

All too often, we run across people who may have the big picture in clear view, yet for some reason haven’t taken action yet.

“Why haven’t you moved on this?” you might ask. “We’re just praying for God to give us a plan,” might be the answer.

While that type of response is socially acceptable, and you probably won’t find too many people who will push past that answer, is “a plan” the right thing to pray for, or could it be, should it be, something else?

When you fall to your knees tonight in prayer, what do you think would happen if, instead of asking God to reveal the perfect life or business plan, you simply asked Him for the next step?

Here’s the 30-day challenge:

Step one: While it’s important to have goals in all areas of life (financial, health and wellness, spiritual, personal development, social, family, and career), pick the one area that you are determined to make come alive in the first 30 days and set a 30-day goal. Have fun with this. Aim high. Shoot for the stars.

Step two: Jot down the steps that you already know to take. (You probably know more than you realize.)

Step three: Pray for the next step(s) throughout the 30-day challenge at least twice a day.

Step four: Trust God and act.


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