Stepping Out

I did not have much time to pull my thoughts together this past week. Caring for my family on a tour to Pennsylvania while my mother stays in Michigan with my invalid brother (read that story here) is not conducive to writing. And so, this is not my usual write, edit seventy times, read, reread, edit again blog post. I actually did not know what to even write about until two sentences ago. This should be interesting...

Blogging really is not my "thing". My mother can attest to the fact that I have always hated any writing that I "had" to do. School assignments requiring an essay or short story were ridiculously drawn out, emotional experiences. There were always tears, crumpled papers, and the occasional broken pencil involved. Which begs the question, why start a blog where I am required to write something every week? I promise this was NOT my idea. I am scared of writing anything that other people will read. Journaling, fine. I can write in my journal all day long, but the blog is a different story.

Back in April of 2012, I was talking to a friend of mine and we somehow ended up on the subject of my beliefs about purity, modesty, courtship, marriage, and womanhood. He asked lots of questions, but he was not like most people I talk to who want to make me change my mind. He was genuinely interested in my opinions and apparently was impressed with what I had to say because he said, "You should speak at conferences about this stuff!" The idea seemed so absurd to me, I had to laugh. You see, even greater than my fear of writing is my fear of public speaking. Yeah. I know. Anyway, the next week, all I could think about was our conversation and what my friend had said. But speaking in front of a large group of people was NOT going to happen. Then it hit me. A blog! That idea was almost as crazy as the first though. Me? Blog? Obviously, this was not my idea at all. It was God's. He did not say anything to me verbally, mind you, but I could sense that this was His doing. I thought it over some and decided to go for it, although I was not particularly excited about the prospect. I immediately began reading several books on the subjects I would be writing about. I said I needed to be prepared. Which is good. One should be sufficiently prepared when undertaking a task such as this. But that was not why I did it. I read and studied for nearly a year before I realized that I was only putting off what I had been told to do.

Have you ever done something like that?

I tend to do things slowly and sometimes procrastinate, but avoiding something for a year was pathetic. Finally, I threw my comfort out the window and began writing. Now here I am, four months later, still not sure what I am doing and trying to figure out the internet (I am not today's typical young person). With the Lord's help, I will remain here until He tells me otherwise. And, you know, I am actually enjoying this!

So I suppose my point is that when the Lord puts it on your heart to do something, just step out and go for it. I wonder what blessings I might have missed by not starting this blog sooner. So what if the task you were told to accomplish is something you are not good at or comfortable with? Check out this verse:

And He said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for My strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

This has become my theme verse this year. (And I often quote it over and over when I do a concert in poor voice.) I am a real perfectionist, but it seems like when I am weakest, He uses me to bless people in the most powerful way. And so I trust Him to do that with this blog.

Well then. I am no longer in a panic as I see I have quite a few words typed up for all of you to read. Whether you will appreciate them or not is entirely up to you.