Length of Shower: Always prepare to get a little wet --Today I thought about a 4-part series that I wrote a few years ago on taking leaps of faith. The next 4 entries will be those short snips of encouragement. I hope you get as much out of them as I did in both writing them then, and re-reading them now.
Preparation is the key to most things in life. Athletes stretch and mentally prepare before a competition. Presidents prepare before giving a speech. And if we take a vacation, we save money, reserve tickets and plan our activities. Taking a leap of faith takes preparation too. As they say to teachers, “A little prep goes a long way.”
So, how do we prepare for this Leap of Faith?
First and foremost, we should always start with the planner God gave us, the Word. Not just the Bible, but other books too. There are some great books that deal with this very subject (and they aren’t limited to the length of this article or even to Christian Book stores. Look at The Dream Giver, The Alchemist, or If You Want to Walk on Water You Gotta Get Out Of the Boat). Collectively, those resources will help us prepare so our leap is a strong one filled with confidence!
Next, meditative prayer is key. Without an ongoing conversation with the Lord, we can just “fugheddaboudit”- it’s not going to happen. Spend some alone time with God. Find that quiet place without distractions where you can pray and meditate on this possible leap. Notice possible leap. Be ready; sometimes God’s answer is “Not yet.”
Thirdly, we have to listen, listen, listen. The answers to our prayers for guidance are around us all along. We just need to change our receptors. People are first. God loves to answer us through people, and not necessarily other Christians. God’s hand is at work in everything, so listen to the people around you. The second listen is being aware of events around us. “Coincidences” can be God’s way of whacking us on the head to say, “Go this way!” The last listen is for that gut feeling. Most of the time the answer is in our gut if we’re willing to be honest about what it’s saying.
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