Just One Step

This is always about the time New Years resolutions start getting old. This is always about the time I start telling myself the resolutions are not really worth doing or that they are clearly not working. This is also the time I believe the Girl Scouts have always known is the best time of year to go ahead and start selling Girl Scout cookies because we are all basically saying, What resolutions?

You would really think we might be able to make it a little further than mid- January with those resolutions. I find that stress gets in the way and we abandon our well-intended plans for healthy eating, more exercise and clean living. I always think about the movie Airplane (1980) and the repeated line, Looks like I picked a bad week to stop smoking/drinking/taking amphetamines/sniffing glue. That still makes me smile and I hope most of us can fill in that blank with milder vices like giving up soft drinks or sugar or something but you get the point. We all have a tendency to let stress give us an excuse to abandon our best intentions.

I sometimes slack off my goals because they seem to big or too scary. I’ve learned to put a small piece of a bigger goal on the top of my to-do list every day. If I find myself not wanting to do it, I make myself do it first. I even say to myself, Cindy take your small step…just take it.

There’s an old saying, When the journey is arduous just take the next step. I love this. We all can take the next step.

Make the therapy appointment. Walk one mile. Eat right at this meal. Go a few minutes longer giving up your vice. Visit one church. Contact that person you are avoiding. Clean out one drawer. Sign up for the exercise class. Just take a step.

Once again, Sarah Young writes it well in Jesus Calling, as if God is talking to us, Someday you will dance light-footed on the high peaks but for now, your walk is often plodding and heavy. All I require of you is to take the next step, clinging to My hand for strength and direction. Though the path is difficult and the scenery dull at the moment, there are sparkling surprises just around the bend. (7-14 entry)

I wonder what sparkling surprise might await you if you just take the next step? What wonder? What new life? What healing? What healthy habit might get locked in?

A whole arduous journey is just too much. One step we can do.

Dr. Cindy Ryan is a pastor, wife, mother of three, Mosa to Keller and Pace and breast cancer survivor. See http://www.drcindyryanblog/events for her upcoming speaking dates. Dr. Ryan is the featured speaker at three Women’s Retreats in late January and February 2020. All are open to other women attending and all have registration deadlines in the coming week. Is signing up for a retreat your next step? Do it! You can also sign up to be a part of Cindy’s Inner Circle to receive extra content on the first of each month. Sign up at http://www.drcindyryanblog.com/circle.