Can We Skip to the Good Part

I sat with my hands hovering above the keys. Ready to write. Ready to share mind-blowing inspiration with whoever happened to be reading that day. There was just one problem.

The words weren’t coming.

The longer I sat staring at the tiny blinking browser on my computer screen the more irritated I became. Why did I have so many words when I was stopped at a red light and a weird dude in the car next to me was looking at me funny? Why did life suddenly make perfect sense at 3 am when my desire to stay in bed severely outweighed my desire to share anything with anybody? Why did a writing epiphany happen while sitting pool side on spring break when I’m surrounded by shouting kids and splashing water?

The hard truth of starting anything new is that it’s hard. We’ve been conditioned into thinking we can ‘skip to the good part’ through Instagram reels and Staples commercials, but in reality the good part isn’t skipping to the end. It’s fighting for the beginning.

When I think about some of the best parts of my life like marriage, parenthood, or discovering and acting on my gifts and dreams, I find two things to be true. First, the beginning was hard. No one handed me a red, Easy button. There were internal and external battles, sleepless nights, and a whole lot of surrendering. The building and learning and growing did not happen in a seven second reel where one shot showed me glowing in white dress and the next showed our family of five (plus a big Chocolate Lab) posing and laughing like we were auditioning for a prescription drug commercial.

Which leads me to the second thing I’ve found to be true. The journey from beginning to end (or the middle…or wherever we all find ourselves at any given moment) is the good part.

Does it feel like the good part? Yes. Sometimes. And sometimes no. But that’s the part that ends up getting all mushed together to form the masterpiece. We edit, we backtrack and maybe even delete some of the unnecessary nonsense of our lives in order to strive for goodness, kindness, and at times an Instagram worthy life. But the striving is where the beauty happens.

Anytime we’re starting something new, whether that is a job, a season of life, or maybe even stepping out into the unknown and hoping God sheds some light on the situation sooner rather than later, it’s an opportunity to take a deep breath and fully step into the present space we find ourselves in. So often we brush past the beginnings in order to avoid feeling awkward or incapable. But honestly, the best part of a humble beginning is seeing those bursts of growth start popping up out of the tiny seed we’ve planted.

If you are facing down the giant of a new beginning, I hope you’ll remember these three things today:

1. We can’t skip over the hard parts, but we can accept the present for what it is.
2. God doesn’t usually show us the whole path, but He promises to light up each step.
3. There is beauty in each small moment and the journey is the good part.

I’m starting fresh at this writing thing. Something I’ve done off and on since I was in 3rd grade. (Please don’t ever, ever read the story that started it all, circa 1991.)

Right now, this feels hard. It feels hopeless and pointless. I feel vulnerable and a little defensive if I’m being honest. But what I can share is this…God works all things together for our good, including the small beginnings that we often despise. I’m going to work this week on cutting myself some slack, holding myself accountable to grow and learn, and to stay awake to the work God is doing in these moments that seem tough and feel a little scary.

I hope you know, regardless of what you’re living and learning today, that you are seen and known and so completely loved by the Creator and Author of all things. He has started something good in and through you. He will see it through to the end, whatever that looks like. And you can trust Him.