First Blog

The Special Occasion

When I was younger, I’d get craft kits that I would absolutely love. All the necessary pieces were there, all the potential creations looked so fun, such wonderful kits called for me to wait for a “special occasion” before I could open them. Surely, I couldn’t treat them like any old craft; I had to wait! I had to savor it! As a result, my kits sat around. They clogged the craft cabinet and eventually my mom would have to threaten me to do them or she would throw them out so the craft cabinet door would shut. The “special occasion” I was waiting for never really came. As I grew older, I became aware that both my mom and one of her close friends each had a China set. Pretty tea pots, lovely teacups with flowers, matching plates, and creamer dishes. Funny thing was, we never used them. They were for “special occasions” but those occasions never really came around. It seemed so ridiculous that they took up so much storage space and yet we never did anything with them.

I’ve seen people do the same sort of thing with their spiritual life. I remember presenting a person with the chance to surrender their life to the Lord, and their answer was something like “not yet.” Or when I asked someone else if they wanted a personal copy of the Bible to read, they replied that they wanted to wait for a “special occasion” before getting one. These answers left me a little distraught. Sure, these were big decisions that required some thinking through, but what were these people waiting for? What “special occasion” would finally persuade them to move forward? And that inspired me to ask: what was I myself hesitating to do because I thought I needed a “special occasion” as an excuse?

Too Wonderful To Wait

Don’t wait. Craft kits may get forgotten. China may be left to collect dust. Spiritual lives may become stagnant. What special occasion are you waiting for? Journal in that beautiful notebook you bought so long ago. Read that new book you’ve been dying to start. Take that next step in your walk with God. Yes, your journal may get a few ink splotches, and you may not be able to read through your book as peacefully as you’d wish. But that doesn’t mean it’s not worth it. You may never have had a dramatic vision or “hallelujah” moment but it is worth it to step out into a deeper version of your faith. Don’t wait. Don’t miss out on the wonderful thing God has set in front of you just because you’re hoping for the perfect “special occasion” that may never come.