 Joshua 1:9 (The Message Bible)
Strength! Courage! Don't be timid; don't get discouraged. God, your God, is with you every step you take.
For over eight years now, my husband and I have been entertained by the silly antics of a beautiful calico cat. She has one orange ear, one black ear, and a multicolored tail. Everything in-between is snow white except for those days when she rolls around in the red clay dirt.
Kitty Girl stays inside most of the time, but occasionally she gets the notion that life outside might be good. She stands at the back door and meows like she's going to die if I don't open it for her, so I do. I expect her to go rushing into the yard where she loves to play, but she doesn't. Instead, she looks up at me with nervous green eyes as if to say, "You really expect me to go out there?!"
As I hold the door open, I encourage her that she'll have fun, but she continues to sit there. I give up, close the door, and go back to my work. Five minutes later, she starts the whole process all over again. After we've played this game 4 or 5 times, finally she has enough courage.
Watching Kitty Girl's going outside routine is hilarious, but one day as she was looking at me for reassurance, I saw myself. I ask God to open doors for me, but when he does, I hesitate and find reasons why I can't. It's so easy to see how foolish Kitty Girl's fears are. I bet mine are even more foolish.
Dear Lord, give me the confidence to run through the door the second you open it.
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