Do Hard Things

For the past 3 days I’ve been listening to a program on Focus on the Family Do the Hard Things about twins, Alex and Brett Harris who wrote the book Do Hard Things.

They are so articulate and so Godly, you would never know they are only 20 years old. They basically are challenging teens to use the teen years as a launch pad to life, not a vacation from responsibility; and they use Bible scripture and real stories about teens from history and also the present day to inspire.

I am obviously not a teen, but one thing they said today spoke right to me. In a question and answer session a girl asked “How do you know when to give up? That it might not be what God’s plan is for you because it’s not happening?”

And one of the young men said, “Seek preparedness not opportunity. Do everything to the best of your ability. Press on. Be faithful in the little things.”

I’ve been waiting and watching for years for something big – speaking outside of my church, writing that book I want to (I even have a title!) and I keep getting drawn into more and more volunteer work through my church: doing the service at a local nursing home, teaching one and subbing for other Sunday school classes, leading a devotion, press releases for the church, serving on church council, being on a district committee, helping with Wednesday night suppers, helping with the youth, leading a 32 week Bible study…

Until I heard him say that today it was driving me a little crazy! All these little things were taking up all my time. How could I ever do anything big? Everybody asks me to do little things, why doesn't someone open the door to something big?

But “seek preparedness not opportunity. Do everything to the best of your ability. Press on. Be faithful in the little things.” If we have an audience of One and He is the one we want to please: then this makes perfect sense!