When You Feel Like You Should Be Further Along by Now
I was recently reading through some old blog posts and came across this one that I called, “Why Stumbling?” published on my old blog, Stumbling Toward Maturity in 2013. Reading these old words reminded me how God set me on this path of communicating truth and why. Interestingly enough, this has been a season of seeking clarity and I was encouraged by this reminder. Our God always knows what we need. Sometimes before you can keep going you need to look back and remember why you were on a path in the first place. Perhaps like mine, your life has felt noisy. lately. Consider this an invitation to turn down the volume and tune in to the voice of God. Wherever you are in your journey, I pray you’re encouraged! Happy Reading!
When I first started blogging, my dad had recently been diagnosed with ALS. The purpose of my writing was to keep people informed on his prognosis and it ended up being a combination of his progress and the lessons God was teaching me along the way. When people stopped by to visit, they’d often mention something to him about the blog. Finally one day, he pulled me aside, and on his letter board spelled, “What’s a blog?”
I had to laugh before explaining what I was doing. (It was 2008). I told him I was writing to keep people up to date and about lessons God was teaching me along the way. He shook his head and next spelled, “Write only the truth.” He never wanted the spotlight on Him, only God.
I received a great deal of encouragement about writing during that season of life. In the season I’m currently in, where there aren’t quite as many work and school demands, I’ve felt somewhat called back to the old keyboard.
As I sit and pondered what to write about and what to call it, my dad’s instruction resonates in my mind.
Write only the truth.
Why? He knew that only the truth of God’s Word has the powerful ability to change lives.
That is what I will strive to do— find bits of truth in everyday life and write about them in a way that encourages you to live them out in your own life.
Why stumbling? You may be wondering about the title. While it may seem strange, I can’t think of a better way to describe my spiritual life. Sometimes I start out running and things are going well. But then I allow something to cut me off from my good race. Sometimes I’m walking along and then find myself tripping over some of the obstacles in my path. I often wish I were more of a spiritual runner or walker- steady, gaining ground and heading in the right direction.
Maybe one day I’ll get there.
For now, even after knowing Jesus Christ for 18 years, I still forget, I still get caught up in the daily unimportant urgencies of life which leaves me feeling like I’m in somewhat of a spiritual stumble. It’s not always pretty. I don’t always respond to God and people as I know I should. While none of us are exactly where we want to be, by the grace of God, none of us are where we were.
I do hope and pray that one day I’m running very steadfastly, unceasingly in the direction of becoming only like Jesus.
For now, I still fall and I must allow Him to help me back up and get back on the right path. There are those I stumble with. We help each other up, cheer each other on and head together in a Jesus direction, no matter what pace we may be currently traveling it and no matter how long it may take us. I invite you to come along in the general direction of spiritual maturity with me whether you're walking, running or stumbling.
I chuckled reading the words of myself many years ago… thinking that I might reach a point in my faith walk of never stumbling. While we aim to perfect as our heavenly Father is perfect, we will never fully embody perfection on this side of heaven... hence the reason we need Jesus. Until then, we run our race, and just keep getting back up, trusting that He is still more than enough.