“I really need to send some flowers to my mom, “ I thought to himself. It had been a long time since I had done anything special for her. Luckily, there was a flower shop near my office.
As I stepped into the flower shop, I noticed the perfect card to go with the flowers. I was so preoccupied with the card and flowers that I hadn’t noticed the woman behind the counter. I looked up at her to order the flowers when I became completely dumbstruck. It was easy to see the extraordinary beauty of the woman. I could barely speak I was so taken by her. She had golden hair, the perfect smile, and eyes that not even the greatest poets could describe. As I tried to compose myself, I glanced down to see if there was a ring on her finger. “Hallelujah, no ring on that finger!’ I wanted to ask her out, but I didn’t think I could. I was shy when it came to asking women out. I just paid for the flowers and left the store.
Throughout the next week, I couldn’t get the flower shop girl out of my mind. Trying to find an excuse to return to the flower shop, I began to think of other family members I could send flowers. Again with every trip to the flower shop, I couldn’t work up the nerve to ask her out. This routine continued for two months. Each week I went into buy flowers, and with each week I couldn’t work up the courage to ask her out. By now, I was sending flowers to people I hadn’t seen in years. Finally, I worked up the nerve to ask out this flower shop beauty. It might have been bravery or the fact that I was running out of money to keep buying flowers.
I walked into the flower shop as usual and walked into the card section. I was so nervous that I just grabbed the nearest card. I didn’t even bother looking at it. I stepped up to the counter and looked up anticipating the smile of my flower shop girl. There instead stood the meanest looking man I had ever seen. The beautiful flower shop girl had moved. She was gone! I just stood there. My head was hanging low, and that’s when I noticed the card I had grabbed. There on the card in big red letters, one word, “Goodbye.”
How many times do we we create excuses not to do something? Do you let fear stop you from reaching out into a new direction? Even as I read my Bible , I read the familiar story of Moses at the burning bush. Here is a great leader of our spiritual genealogy and we read in Exodus 3-4 about his excuses not to take action. But what if they won't listen? Who am I? But I am not a good speaker. Yet we need not fear, because like Moses, God goes with us.
Just like the possibility of asking out my flower shop girl, we all need to step out and take action, whether it be in the every day decisions of life or when the Lord calls us to action. While the cliche is true that we only live once, we need to live with no regrets, no excuses, and no fear.
As I stepped into the flower shop, I noticed the perfect card to go with the flowers. I was so preoccupied with the card and flowers that I hadn’t noticed the woman behind the counter. I looked up at her to order the flowers when I became completely dumbstruck. It was easy to see the extraordinary beauty of the woman. I could barely speak I was so taken by her. She had golden hair, the perfect smile, and eyes that not even the greatest poets could describe. As I tried to compose myself, I glanced down to see if there was a ring on her finger. “Hallelujah, no ring on that finger!’ I wanted to ask her out, but I didn’t think I could. I was shy when it came to asking women out. I just paid for the flowers and left the store.
Throughout the next week, I couldn’t get the flower shop girl out of my mind. Trying to find an excuse to return to the flower shop, I began to think of other family members I could send flowers. Again with every trip to the flower shop, I couldn’t work up the nerve to ask her out. This routine continued for two months. Each week I went into buy flowers, and with each week I couldn’t work up the courage to ask her out. By now, I was sending flowers to people I hadn’t seen in years. Finally, I worked up the nerve to ask out this flower shop beauty. It might have been bravery or the fact that I was running out of money to keep buying flowers.
I walked into the flower shop as usual and walked into the card section. I was so nervous that I just grabbed the nearest card. I didn’t even bother looking at it. I stepped up to the counter and looked up anticipating the smile of my flower shop girl. There instead stood the meanest looking man I had ever seen. The beautiful flower shop girl had moved. She was gone! I just stood there. My head was hanging low, and that’s when I noticed the card I had grabbed. There on the card in big red letters, one word, “Goodbye.”
How many times do we we create excuses not to do something? Do you let fear stop you from reaching out into a new direction? Even as I read my Bible , I read the familiar story of Moses at the burning bush. Here is a great leader of our spiritual genealogy and we read in Exodus 3-4 about his excuses not to take action. But what if they won't listen? Who am I? But I am not a good speaker. Yet we need not fear, because like Moses, God goes with us.
Just like the possibility of asking out my flower shop girl, we all need to step out and take action, whether it be in the every day decisions of life or when the Lord calls us to action. While the cliche is true that we only live once, we need to live with no regrets, no excuses, and no fear.