From Awkward to Walking Forward

I sometimes follow a blogger named Kay Harms. She does some fashion blogging for the “over 50” crowd but she happens to be the wife of a minister in the greater Cincinnati area and she pops in some spiritual lessons as well. She writes at Dressed for my Day and her side message is Blessed for my Day. This week she talked about the importance of getting past feeling awkward in order to find your place of comfort whether it is trying something new, or meeting someone new or just doing something that does not make you feel so great at first. Her premise is that we need to push through the awkward feelings to move forward with the new experience and when we do that, it’s a rewarding place to be.

Haven’t you ever worked on something and then days, weeks , months or years later you looked back and asked, “How in the world did I even accomplish that?” Sometimes it was a difficult job that had to be done. Sometimes it was a dreadful experience that no one wanted to walk through, but you did it anyway. Sometimes it was an event that required courage and strength to get through.

Jesus had his share of awkward moments. 1) Preaching before a crowd that may not have understood his message. 2) Asserting God’s will in a society where his acceptance was doubted and challenged. 3) Going to the cross because his heavenly father ordained it so.

Actually, the word awkward doesn’t begin to describe those experiences, does it?

Feeling awkward should not be the reason we don’t try to move forward. Feeling awkward sometimes is just an inconvenience and perhaps it is a reminder to work harder.

When we fear trying something new, meeting someone new, or experiencing an unpleasant situation, where can we muster the courage to pass through the awkward to indeed walk forward?

God promises to be present. Rest your assurances on God’s blessings and love and care.