by Anna Haiar
Taking the Next Step
“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
Joshua 1:9, English Standard Version
Around this time each spring, I start to anticipate the return of two hummingbirds to our property in the forest. These tiny creatures take off on a journey and travel thousands of miles back to our trees every year. While they carry no detailed map or guarantees they’ll make it, every year, regardless of circumstances, they begin their journey.
If we’re being real, a lot of us are living stories we didn’t expect. Life didn’t turn out the way we thought it would, whether that’s in our families, our work, our health, or just how things have unfolded. And the hardest part isn’t always understanding why, but rather, it’s finding the courage to keep showing up anyway. To get up in the morning and step back into a life that feels different than what you imagined. To keep loving, keep trying, keep being present, when part of you would rather check out or pull back.
That takes courage! And not the loud, dramatic kind. The quiet kind that God speaks to in Joshua 1:9 “Be strong and courageous…for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” I love that this doesn’t say, “Be strong because you have it all figured out.” Or, “Be courageous because everything will go your way.” It says be courageous because God is with you. 
Just like hummingbirds, we don’t necessarily see the whole journey. Some days, we just have to fly to the next stretch. Then the next. Somehow, we keep going. And maybe that’s what courage looks like for us too. Not having everything mapped out—but choosing to show up today. To take the next step. To trust that even in a story we wouldn’t have written, God is still writing something good.
So if that’s where you are right now—showing up to something hard, something unexpected—just know this:
You’re not doing it alone. God is with you.
Copyright Family of Christ Lutheran Church, Colorado Springs, Colorado.
