Brave enough to begin

Have you ever had the whisper of a dream or an idea that you knew was inside of you? Something that would bring you great joy if you tried it, but seemed so far out of reach and beyond your capabilities that you dismissed it as crazy talk? If you are nodding along, then I know exactly how you feel because I’ve felt that way too.

For years, there was a dream that I kept on the fringes of my thoughts, but never had the courage to allow it to form in my mind. I found my inner critic saying, “Who do you think you are to imagine you could do something like that?” I would focus on all the things I was “not.” Not knowledgeable enough, not skilled enough, not brave enough. Frozen in the reality of not knowing what to do, and not having the skills or resources to even begin. That dream seemed so far out of reach and beyond my capabilities that I would just dismiss it…. But the whispers remained persistent.

Then, one afternoon, I was listening to a podcast about someone else’s story. This person had the thought of an idea that felt out of reach until she decided to take just one step toward it. I remember how her voice shifted as she explained, her tone became more joyful, and her energy increased with each word. A few years later, she was living it out! I mean, not just doing it, but thriving in it.

It was then that I finally allowed myself to think, “What if I tried?" What if I stopped strong-arming so hard to keep my dream on the fringes of my thoughts, and just took one step towards it? Sure, I don’t have any idea what to do, but I can learn. In fact, maybe I am exactly where God wants me to be. In a place of personal “not enough-ness,” so I can turn to Him. His word assures us He will lend us His knowledge, His skill, His courage if we just ask and allow Him to do so.

This verse suggests that God's power is most evident when we acknowledge our own limitations. When I finally gave myself permission to not be perfect, I was able to take that first step into the world of podcasting. I began by simply doing some research… learning about what equipment I would need, which platform to use, and what it would take to make this work. I found a class that filled in some of the details and specifics. Honestly, I still didn’t feel totally ready, but I dove in and recorded my first episode — without it being pretty or perfect. Without knowing exactly what I was doing, I just began.

What is whispering to you? Instead of dismissing the thought, ask yourself what if it is God who is whispering to you… it is He who will be with you every step of the way. I encourage you to allow yourself to not be good enough in the beginning. Because you never know what will be on the other side of your first step. Give yourself the permission to be a C student, you’ll get to that A+ at some point. You don’t have to be great to start, but you do have to start to be great. Your story may be the one that inspires someone else to take their first step.

Let’s be brave together.