Needing a Jump-Start this morning

Some mornings, I wake up with profound thoughts and bright ideas popping up all over the place in my mind. By the time Scout and I have walked the first mile I'll have my blog outlined and a sense of direction for my writing all day. Rebekah will throw out crossword clues and I'll answer them in a flash. By lunchtime I'm ready to spend the afternoon on my new book...

... Then there are days like today. I enjoyed the walk, but nothing was firing. I scanned the newspaper, but the crossword puzzle made no sense. I read today's Upper Room devotional, but was uninspired. I answered some emails, couldn't think of a pithy facebook status update, looked - nervously - at today's deadlines and then stared at a blank screen for several minutes.

When I was a school teacher, the kids showed up no matter how limber my mind was on a given day. The buses would arrive, full of highly carbonated children. The ride would shake them up like a can of soda in a paint mixer. Then someone would pop the lid and they'd spill out all over my classroom. Agitated, effervescent, frothy.

So here I am, praying for clarity, insight, inspiration, froth! - anything to jump start this morning's writing. Then (and by "then" I mean three minutes ago) I note an incoming email that I leave this page to read. It's from my friend Gil in Atlanta, who is replying to a message and link I sent him all the way back in November of '09. All he writes is this: "Thanks for sharing this. I reread it today and it appears even *more* relevant and on target. Continue to keep me inspired, focused, and accountable!"

So of course I go back and re-read the original (November) message, and the following paragraph jumps out in terms of today:

• "We can't wait until we see clearly before we take the risk of believing; we have to be in motion - moving forward in some way - in order to steer our course You can't steer if you're standing still. God is more interested in our moving forward in this spiritual journey than in our seeing the way clearly. If we wait for everything to be crystal clear before moving then we're never going to go anywhere."

Point being, sometimes we need (I need) to simply put one foot in front of the other and move forward.

So I'm moving forward into this day, writing with belief if not erudition. Because I am confident that God is going to honor even my most tentative footfalls of faith.

Thanks for the boost, Gil, and rich blessings on all you are up to in the service of God's purposes up there in Atlanta.

- DEREK