Thoughtful About . . . There

We set goals.

We work hard.

We sweat.

We cry.

We bleed.

We tumble down exhausted.

We stretch out our hands, willing our fingers to reach that last . . . single . . . inch.

Did we get there?

There. The end goal. The place we want to be.

There. The thing always just out of reach.

There. The place that, when we think we are there, can slip away the moment we’re not looking.

Have you been in that position? Where you think you’ve gained ground, only to lose it? Or where you feel like you’ve fallen just short of your goal?

Have you, on the other hand, been resting long and safe in this There, not stretching for another goal when maybe you should be?

I’ve been giving a lot of thought this last week to my there. My here. Where goals and realities meet and where they clash. What I count a failure and what I count a success, and what’s really within my power to change.

And I keep coming back to one simple truth.

There can be anywhere–but it’s only a success if I’m in the There where He wants me to be, fully reliant on Him. Sometimes, at least for me, success means taking things for granted. Success means slipping into pride. Success means that I begin to think I can instead of He can. In those moments, success in the world can mean failure in the soul.

Thank you, Lord, for reminding me always that while I’m called to do Your work, I’m not called to do it on my own strength, but through Yours. ONLY through Yours.

What is the There that you’re reaching for right now? Is it close? Too far? Are your in a period of straining or a period of rest?

Are you stretching far enough?

And most importantly, are we stretching our hands out only with His?