Every Journey Starts With the First Step
January 8, 2004
By Rev.
Todd Crofford
Sr. Pastor
Laurel Wesleyan Church
My dad and I still laugh about an incident we shared a few years ago. He came to
me and said, “Todd, I am cleaning out my study and found a great motivational
series on tape about procrastination. Do you want them?” I asked him, “Did you
like them?” He said, “I don’t know, I keep putting off listening to them.”
Life is full of people (my dad is not one of them) who will spend much of their
time (and yours) telling you about all the things they could become, all the
talents they could be using, or all the success they could someday have? Too
many people we know are tall on talk, short on accomplishment.
We could spend pages dissecting the difference between dreamers who only dream
and dreamers who achieve. Yet for this short article, let me suggest one major
obstacle we all must overcome to achieve. That obstacle is inertia.
Inertia is the resistance to change in motion. Used in context to our every day
lives, it simply means getting beyond talk and taking the first step to
accomplishing something.
One of the things I enjoy the least is cleaning our minivans. I do it because we
have four children (and one on the way), so it is a necessity. I also do it
because is it a form of love language to my wife for me to provide her with a
van that is cleaned up. For me the hardest part of cleaning the van is getting
out the large shop vacuum. I need to go to the shed, fetch the extension cord,
get it plugged in, and haul out the unit just to begin the process. After that
first five minutes of effort, my van is no cleaner.
A strange thing happens, though, once I have that vacuum in place. Now I am
determined to clean that van up and get it looking as good as I can. Sometimes
the effort to suck up that french fry way under the seat, or getting all the
clutter out of the van and sorted back to its proper position is actually harder
work than getting out the vacuum. But it is getting out the vacuum that I dread
because that action represents the change in inertia.
Are there things in your life- important things- that are left undone because
you have just never started? Some of you have talents that could be offered to
your church or a civic organization, but the effort to get involved holds you
back. Perhaps there is some relationship you have desired to develop with your
neighbor or a friendship that needs restored. The first phone call is the
greatest effort.
Maybe its something more simple like cleaning out that junk drawer, or getting
those clothes down to the Good Samaritan, or just feeling better once the latch
on that window is repaired. Whatever it is, the first step will always be the
hardest, but without it you can never get down the pathway of success.
The Bible says “These are difficult days. Don’t be fools. Be wise. Make the most
of every opportunity.” (Eph. 5:16 LB) We all only get so many hours in a
lifetime, so don’t waste them… redeem them.
So, once you’re done reading this fine web page, what’s next?
The views expressed do not necessarily represent those of Site One
Networks, Inc, the congregation of
the Laurel Wesleyan Church or the Wesleyan Church International. You may respond
to the author directly by E-mailing laurelwesleyan@siteone.net
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