Several years ago, before our kids were born, my husband and I started buying half gallons of organic, grass-fed milk in glass jugs. I loved buying good milk, and I loved the reusable jugs. During one shopping trip, I spotted a quart of grass-fed, glass-bottled chocolate milk. I wanted so badly to try it, but I’m frugal, and that kind of milk is already expensive. The added expense of chocolate was too frivolous. So, I passed it by. A handful of shopping trips later, my husband caught me eyeing the chocolate milk again and told me to go ahead and buy it. We bought it, I carried it lovingly home on my lap in our reusable shopping bag, and put it in the fridge. That night I poured myself a glass, and it was even more delicious than I had anticipated. It was so good that I decided to ration it. I’d only save it for the days I really need a pick-me-up. That bottle sat in the fridge as a little beacon of hope, my little chocolate safety net.

But, milk is perishable.

And, I waited so long, trying to save that milk for the absolute best time to consume it, that I missed my opportunity to consume it at all. The milk soured.

I had to dump that glorious bottle of chocolate milk down the drain because I had wasted time hoping for the best opportunity to drink it.

We do that a lot in life, don’t we? We wait to marry the love of our life. We wait to start a family. We wait to take a risky leap in our career. And, in my case, I waited so long to write. We always hope we will stumble upon the absolute best collision of circumstances. We want our lives dialed in, we want our bank accounts heavily padded, we want the inspiration to come, we want that “feeling” to know the opportunity is right.

But, this is real life. And, our lives are never perfectly in order. We never seem to have the right amount of dollars in the bank. We don’t have a large enough 401k. We haven’t felt the “right” inspiration.

So, are we going to sit around and wait? Are we going to wait for the right opportunity? Are we going to wait until life has passed us by and the milk has turned?

Sometimes, the right, most terrifying thing is to take that initial step of faith. Many times God doesn’t confirm our path until we take that first step. But, when we do take that first step, and God is there to confirm it, the blessings and hope that follow are deliciously sweet.

What is it in your life that you’ve been putting off that has been on your heart for awhile?

Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.

Joshua 1:9