We all have an ark we are called to build. Not an actual ark; a metaphorical one. Our gifts, our talents, our God-given skills. That thing which we are called to do, even if we don’t have the who, what, why, when, where nailed down yet.
There is a reason God does not always hand us a blueprint for what He has called us to do. I can promise you that if I had seen the blueprint for what my ark over the last ten years would look like, I would have said, “NO.” I would have folded up the blueprint and put it in the recycle bin. (That way I would only have felt half-guilty. After all, at least I would be recycling!)
God is looking for us to say YES.
So often, we think we need to have all the who, what, why, when, where boxes checked before we give our stamp of approval. But the beauty is in the mystery, and the mystery happens when we simply say YES.
Without the entire blueprint.
Without the whole set of instructions.
What a freedom to discover that we only need to know our next step! Not the next five, fifteen or fifty. Just the very next step. It takes the burden off of us to have it all figured out. It moves us from a paralyzed state to a state of adventure where we can experience joy in the mystery of it all.
The ark you are called to build will not be like any other ark. This is why no other set of instructions will work for you. By all means, there are no rules against learning, reading, studying, listening to and observing how other arks are built. I still continue to press into the learning process of how other arks are built and what makes each one unique. There is SO much to learn from the creativity and brilliance of those who have gone before us, as well as those who are going alongside us. But your calling, your purpose, has its OWN set of blueprints. If you try to build based on someone else’s blueprint, well…that’s where things get a bit wonky.
So what is YOUR ark? Are you trying to build something, but lacking the full instructions? Are you waiting to move forward because of uncertainty about where you’re headed or how it will end?
It’s time to just begin, without the whole list of instructions from beginning to end.
To say YES to the mystery,
The not knowing,
The uncertainty,
The what ifs…
Trusting you will gain all the right tools.
At the right time.
Not a second too soon.