Pulling Your Foot Off of First Base

At a previous ministry position there was a couple who had been the "gate" for ideas, prior to me coming.  People had brought up ideas to them and many were met with something like "That won't work here".  It had come to the point that people's fires were quenched.  They no longer had drive they lived under duress.  They stopped having any ideas.  I like to be the "cheerleader" the "let's see if that will work" kind of person.  So, when I arrived, people came to me with ideas, and I opened the gate to the new ideas.  Some people reopened their mind and started having a vision.  They started seeing their faith play out on more than one day (or two) a week.  Some, who had lived under that for so long had, unfortunately, lost their vision or still lived in fear of being told "no" as those people still lived there.


There are too numerous of events in the past that have occurred because of someone going out of a limb and trying something.  Those types of situations can be risky, but you never know what the outcome will be if you don't try.  That brings us to this week's quote...

Progress always involves risks. You can't steal second base and keep your foot on first.  ~ Frederick Wilcox

This quote really rings true in many areas.  By now, most of you have seen "The Blind Side".  Imagine where Michael Oher would be if Mrs. Tuohy wouldn't have had her husband stop to pick him up that winter night.  She went through risks. 

In the movie "Rudy" what would have been the outcome if Rudy wouldn't have tried to sneak in to the custodian room to sleep?  Or if he wouldn't have just kept going?

Are you preventing yourself from taking yourself off of "first base"?  Are you thinking 90 feet (distance between bases) is too far to run?  Are you thinking "What if I get tagged out?"  If so, maybe you could be thinking, "How fast can I get there?" 

Try turning the negative questions into positive ones.  Try taking the step off of first..see what happens.  Maybe you'll make it to second...maybe even third, or home.  Or maybe you'll get out.  The great thing is, you took the risk.  The risk may pay off to teach you how to "steal" better the next time. 

Take the risk...take your foot off of first...make that attempt...try something new...talk to someone...launch an idea...the risks are there, but you may never know what the reality is till you pull your foot off.  Otherwise, you'll just remain "on first".





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Miracles Amidst Difficulties

There have been lots of inventions or discoveries due to accidents. When you are looking for something and are recalling the story, you may say "It was the last place I looked". Isn't that kind of a dumb phrase we use? How many are going to find the object, but keep looking other places? Of course it was the last place you looked.

Not too long ago I read how a man was working on a new kind of glue, but the glue was not strong enough to do much. He thought he failed. However, it was strong enough to hold a piece of paper. Hence, what we know as the "Post-It Note" was created. Not planned; complete accident.

Too often we may see the difficulties that come our way as obstacles instead of opportunities. Take Helen Keller, for example, she had her fair share of obstacles, but look at the opportunities that came her way as she pressed on.

As you read this week's quote, I want you to focus on making the good bloom from anything bad...

Out of difficulties grow miracles. ~ Jean De La Bruyere

I really enjoy watching movies where someone goes through difficulties, but then rises to the top at the end. The Ron Clark Story, Glory Road, Hoosiers and Rudy are all on that list. When it seems practically impossible for something to change, it happens, or for a person to succeed, they do.

A movie may not have been made about your life, but I would bet that you've had difficulties in your life which grew a miracle. My wife and I have had that exact thing happen. We were married about eight months before we decided to try to have a child. For the next 8+ years, we were unsuccessful. At times, I had almost given up hope. Then, out of the blue, my wife notices that she is having symptoms that do not seem right. Upon getting a test, then two, then three, then four, and, then, five, (plus going to the doctor), we came to the understanding that we were going to have a baby!!! It was a great day...better than great!

What about your individual life? What is there that you are having a difficult time achieving? That may be exactly what is going to be the next miracle...don't give up on it...wait for it and keep working toward it!

Anticipating the next miracle...