The Anatomy of a Successful Launch: Overcoming the Insurmountable

When I stopped writing my previous blog, because of other commitments, I was frustrated.

I was writing regularly and people from all over the world were reading.

Yet, as other commitments encroached I tried to shoehorn it in for a while.   But the quality and joy diminished.

Photo by Rick Harrison

So one afternoon, driving home from work, I prayed, “God that’s it.  I can’t do this any longer.”

I felt like something had died inside of me.  Emptiness clawed at my soul.

A few days later, on a Sunday morning, sitting in our sunroom I thought about it again and prayed, “God I give it to you.  You’ve always blessed me and you will now.  If I write again so be it.  If not then it wasn’t meant to be and that’s ok.  My life is blessed without it.”

With that reminder that my success and happiness was not totally dependent on my abilities peace floated in.  From time to time I thought about writing but I couldn’t.  And that was ok.

When those extra commitments ended the dream rekindled.

In quiet moments I thought about what I wanted to do if I started over.  Slowly a vision emerged, sliver by sliver.

I realized I had become bored with my previous blog.  I wanted to do something different.

I had started out one direction but had drifted towards another.  I wanted to follow my new passion this time.

So this new idea was born out of God’s quiet nudging and my own inner searching.

The barriers still come with regularity.  But frankly I have peace that I will surmount them or God will direct me around them.  Either is ok.

David writes in the Psalms, “Those who rest in God’s love will be like a tree planted by a flowing river.  It yields abundant fruit.  In the scorching heat of summer it does not wither.  And they will prosper in everything.”  (Psalm 1:3)

Abundance not scarcity is our promise.

Have you ever hit a barrier to your dreams that you just can’t seem to get around?  Maybe you’re at one right now.

Yet, as you think of quitting it feels like something is dying inside of you?

The harder you try the worse the situation becomes.  You keep pounding away at the barrier but it doesn’t fall.

You’ve felt frustrated and wondered where God is in all this?

There are times to work hard for sure.  We talked about that.

But there are times to stop as well.  When we’ve tried everything we know and the barriers won’t fall.

Sometimes we need to rest in God’s promises that he wants us to prosper and be fruitful.  And he will lead us into it without all our thrashing around.

And when we rest in his love amazing things happen.

We feel an unexplainable peace where before there was anxiety.

And often we discover a fresh vision.  We get a bigger view because we’ve stepped back.

We catch a glimpse of what God really wants us doing.  Sometimes it’s completely different and better.

But through it all we know we can’t give ourselves, no matter how hard we try, that abundance God promises.  Only he can bring it and he will as we let him.  Even in spite of the continual challenges.

When have you hit what seemed like an insurmountable barrier?  What did you do?  What happened?