I pushed the button!

Just like that.  It was done…out there for the world.

It seemed so easy to push the button, but it was scary.  Hours  upon hours of work culminated with the simple push of a button — “publish”.  Meanwhile the conversations in my mind were at work, “Did I miss any typos?  Is the wording clear?  Will this be helpful?  Is this just a stupid idea?!  What was I thinking?!”  However, after much prayer and consultation I went with it!  – This was after reading through 4 different proof copies, going through a gazillion revisions (just ask Thais Faller) and staying up way too late too many nights. The preparation was completely finished — and yet I was tempted to hesitate.

I read several passages of scripture this week that have served me well over and over again.  They are both about hesitation.

Acts 20:20, 27

You know that I have not hesitated to preach anything that would be helpful to you but have taught you publicly and from house to house.  

    For I have not hesitated to proclaim to you the whole will of God.

Fear of the unknown or fears of what someone will think are what can cause me to hesitate.  However, in the scriptures above Paul’s courage to move forward without hesitation did a whole lot of good to a whole lot of people!  Just think of what others would have missed if he had let fear hold him back.

What “buttons” are you hesitating to push today?   If it’s good and righteous….Go for it!!

God will encourage us as we go in the direction he desires us to go.  I hope the following scripture of God’s encouragement amidst hesitation strengthens you- as it does me.

Genesis 19:15-17

With the coming of dawn, the angels urged Lot, saying, “Hurry! Take your wife and your two daughters who are here, or you will be swept away when the city is punished.”

    [16] When he hesitated, the men grasped his hand and the hands of his wife and of his two daughters and led them safely out of the city, for the Lord was merciful to them. [17] As soon as they had brought them out, one of them said, “Flee for your lives! Don’t look back, and don’t stop anywhere in the plain! Flee to the mountains or you will be swept away!”

On seeing Lot’s hesitation, God’s angels took his (and his family’s) hands and led them out.  That is God’s tender compassion!  Amazing.

PS.  Yes, Understanding Goose has been released and is now available. – createspace.com/3646818

One more sneak peek – this time into the Table of Contents:

Chapter 1  Jesus Understands

Chapter 2  Jesus Completes Me – Jesus and Loss

Chapter 3  Jesus Chooses Me – Jesus and Rejection

Chapter 4  Jesus Makes Me Innocent – Jesus on Shame and Guilt

Chapter 5  Jesus Knows Me – Jesus and Identity

Chapter 6  Jesus is Trustworthy – Jesus on Intimacy and Trust

Chapter 7  Jesus Can Take the Wheel – Jesus and Control

Chapter 8  Making Progress

Chapter 9  Personal Reflections

Chapter 10  Finding Your Place to Belong

Supplemental Questions

Appendix A  Stages of Grief

Appendix B  Shame, Guilt and Forgiveness

Appendix C  Who I Am in Christ