I think I’ve always been characterized as careful and cautious. Some of the earliest stories my parents tell me about myself involve this characterization. I’ve kind of stayed this way over the years and it’s carried into my faith. My caution is to the point of causing paralysis at times even in the most benign of situations.See, not only am I overly cautious, but I’m a control freak. When I don’t feel I have that control, I freeze and my cautious nature is kicked into overdrive. You see, I’m afraid of missing out; I’m afraid of being wrong. So, I don’t act. At all.

The most important step of faith
Simply, I contend, it is to take one. How many times have I misstepped? How many times have I not taken a step in love? Too many for me to recount. However, I am still here to tell you and tell you that God is good through it all. There is no step you can take from which He cannot bring you back. Now, I urge some wisdom in your actions, but that will grow in time spent in God’s word. Maybe I’m still wet behind the ears, but we were made to do. We were made to conquer and to fall down, but ultimately carry out the will of our gracious Father.

We’re missing the point
If you’re anything like me, your motivation is to not misstep. This constant looking back often gets me lost. I fail to use the eyes in the back of my head to see what’s upcoming and stumble on the smallest of stones. Maybe you grow those eyes when you become a parent, I don’t know, but this strategy isn’t working out for me. Rather than focus on the goal, I’m wary of its antithesis and even the most well placed step can cause me to question as I’ve lost sight of where it is compared to the true destination.

We’re missing out
We’ve become so accustomed to control in this day and age that even trivial decisions can feel monumental. Ordering at a restaurant can cause stress for even the most put together people (I’m kidding…a little). I think you see where I’m going with this. I don’t fully understand it, but our need to not miss out is having quite the opposite effect on our lives. By my overanalysis in trying to experience the most from any given set of options, I end up missing out on most or all of them. My inaction often stalls me long enough that the decision will pass without my having made one. Yet, that in and of itself is a decision. And then I’m completely miserable.

Maybe I’m speaking in youth, but the times in life I’ve missed out have typically stemmed from inaction. However, the greatest faith experiences have come from acting when I was less than completely sure. But, this is precisely what faith is. Faith is acting with an element of the unknown lingering. It is uncertainty in the midst of experience and information. Faith is that haystack with the needle. Sure, there’s a needle and you may get pricked, but it’s also a large haystack. I don’t know about you, but I’m tired of missing out rolling around in that hay.