Do What's Next When You Don't Know What To Do
"Do the Next Right thing".
These words keep hovering over my days lately.I first heard them on the Next Right Thing Podcast with Emily P. Freeman and later read them in her book. And now they resonate within my soul. Words have always had a way of finding their way deep within me. And these words are no different. I've been carrying them around lately as I've felt a bit undone and uncertain of which things in my life to tackle first and how to surrender it all to God at the same time.The truth is, I've been finding my way with them. (Thanks to Emily P. Freeman and recently Frozen 2.)
These words endearingly remind me of a childhood song . . ." Put one foot in front of the other . . ."If you want to change your direction If your time of life is at hand Well don't be the rule, be the exception. A good way to start is to stand . . .".
You see, sometimes we just need a little directive to keep us moving forward. Because everything in front of us can feel overwhelming when we look at them all together, but when we take each one in small steps they become doable..This Mantra is leading me through these days when I feel like I'm barely making it as well as the ones I'm able to scratch a whole to-do list off . . .With both I'm trying to do the next right thing. . . In the hard & in the holy moments..
As we were walking through the deep pain of this past year, when we didn't know if we could do what the day was asking of us, we took a deep breath and did what was next and somehow it became easier. You see just because something is hard and might even feel like it's squeezing the life out of you- It doesn't make it wrong. And just because life has handed you the worst-possible-hand-ever, it doesn't mean you can't do your best with it.. On the days you feel like you've got this thing and on the ones you want to give up let this concept carries you.
Doing the one next thing in front of you will help you in the anxious moments and
in those you're feeling overwhelmed too..
As I'm contemplating my writing, navigating being a parent of adult kids, learning how to walk beside the man I love while he's still trying to heal and recover, and as I am choosing to trust God rather than trying to control my circumstances . . . there's been so many ways I'm being asked to put these words into my life. And even whenI don't always know how it's all going to end up.
But what I do know is I can trust God to help me take the next step.
And this friend, is truly what trust looks like.
Trust looks past our sometimes devastating circumstances and looks to God
.It gives over our need to be in control and to know the end results.
Trust says, "I'll do what's next and let God do his next."
As we're closing out a year that struck us hard, I'm choosing to 'trust' God regardless of what happens and I'm starting by doing 'the next right thing'.
For today, that's writing this blog post, then closing my computer and meeting a good friend for a hot cup of tea with some good story-trading straight from the heart.
For me< all of these things are how I do what's next while learning to heal what feels broken inside.
It can sometimes be easy to feel like our lives are too much, but just because something 'feels' a certain way doesn't mean it actually “is”. Maybe it means we just need to change how we are doing it. And then perhaps we'll be able to do what He's calling us to, even if life grows harder and more comes our way. Because there's always something next we can do that keeps us moving closer to the thing God has for us to do.
So for today . . . Do what's next and then do it again.
Because this family, this you, this thing . . . They will all be better for it!