Do you ever find it hard to begin? When I was a kid, I used to get nervous about the first day of school. I remember having dreams of getting lost in the quarter-mile long building, running all over trying to find my class. But even worse was the inevitable interruption I would cause with my late arrival, red face and frantic look.  Perhaps you have had a similar dream?

Most of us are not in school anymore but there are still plenty of new beginnings in life.  Big projects like a new job or small ones like writing an important letter happen every day.  I often hear people talk about the deer-in-the-headlights feeling when starting a new project. The thought “now what?” quickly erases all prior ideas that brought the blank page before us in the first place. Splashing the first paint on the new canvas, or typing the first words on the computer can be intimidating because you don’t want to mess it up.  (Insider secret: a lot of artists solve this by purposefully messing up the new paper or canvas with scribbles, collage or random marks just so it is no longer blank.)

Intimidation is fear in disguise; fear of making a mistake, wasting supplies, wasting time, being rejected, etc.  And we all know that Fear is a liar.  Fear tries to destroy us before we even get to start.

God on the other hand, is the master of beginnings.  He created all the firsts, including the day of your first. Even though we may be dreading the beginning step on the path we have to take, God is there with us, taking us out of the cold intimidation to the warm fire of His presence. He re-assures us with His Word and comforts us with His Spirit. We relax, taking the instrument He hands us, and make this next beginning graciously begin.

If you are one who is facing a difficult first, or an intimidating project, remember that we are never alone in it.   We have our gracious Hero right beside us, guiding us and encouraging us in our new creation. Our new beginning quickly turns from frantic fear to a treasured time that we want to cling to.

Together with our Creator, we sit in His love by the fire, and hear him say one more time, “Fear not, I the Lord your God am with you. I, who created all the firsts is waiting to take you by the hand into your first.”

“Be strong and courageous.  Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9b

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