By Tijuana J. Williams
As a child, I loved watching television with my grandmothers. One of our favorite game shows was Jeopardy! More vivid than anything is still the tune which played during Final Jeopardy, counting down the seconds until the contestant’s final responses were revealed.
Well, I heard that same tune playing one day after receiving a call that put me on the path of destiny. During a casual conversation with a dear friend, he asked, “What is your next step of faith?” The infamous tune began to play in my head. I had no response. He advised me to talk to God about it and I did. I soon began to realize I had allowed the busyness of life to supersede the Father’s still, small voice. Because of self-inflicted obligations to the requests of man, I was doing everything except what God told me to do.
This is where my journey with the vowel “Y” began. The one word, yield, through multiple meanings, helped me refocus. I first had to slow down or yield. I knew that in order for God’s voice to become more dominant than the voice, instructions, needs, and assignments of others, I had to restructure my life and make Him my priority. I carved out time every day to put man and my mind on mute. As I inquired about my next step of faith, God reminded me of something He had asked me to do months ago…start a blog. (Side note: You may ask, “Did He really say…start a blog?” Well, while attending a conference for authors, freelance writers, and bloggers, I sat through a panel discussion about blogging. I heard God say, “Do it,” but I was scared.)
After I “re-received” His instructions, I had to surrender or yield my mind, will, and emotions. I told you I was scared. A blog…What if no one reads it? What if people criticize it? What if I say the wrong thing? When will I have time to write? The list of faithless questions went go on and on and on. I thought about how Noah responded when God told him to build the ark. I had to obey without evidence. I could no longer wait for the fear to subside. I made a decision to “Do It Scared.”
Doing it scared meant just that…I had to do something. I had to produce or yield. There had to be a tangible effort on my part. A farmer will never reap a harvest if He doesn’t plant a seed. So I started to write and thus, Sharing My Heart was born! I often feel like Abram when God told him to “go.” He did it without knowing where he was going or what was to come. I stand in awe of all Abraham accomplished for God’s glory. There were mistakes along the way, but my God, his legacy still impacts our lives today!
Like I shared with you a couple of weeks ago, there is an “ark assignment” awaiting us all, but you must slow down to hear God, surrender your will, fears, unanswered questions, or whatever is holding you back, and produce.
So, let me ask, “What is your next step of faith?” Do you hear the Jeopardy music? Yes, I hear it too!
For more about Tijuana J. Williams, visit www.sharingmyheartblog.com. Also, prepare for “VISION NOW! Moving From Dreaming To Doing” hosted by Tijuana J. Williams on Saturday, Oct. 1 from 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the Trussville Civic Center, 5381 Trussville Clay Rd, Trussville, AL.
