There is an 11 week old baby in my house and I have learned very quickly about blowouts. The definition of a blowout is where said baby excretes poop in liquid form and it permeates the diaper barriers on either side of baby's butt cheeks per Ryan's self made dictionary. The other day my wife had 11 week old baby on her side of the bed in the morning and I asked if I could hold him for a minute. So I grabbed him to bring him to my side of the bed and I must have pushed on the diaper wrong or something, because liquid poop began seeping out of the side walls of the diaper. The poop got everywhere. When the poop breaks the diaper barriers it often will get on everything you don't want it to get on. In this case I had poop on my hands, on my shirt, on my shorts, on my sheets, on baby's leg, and on baby's outfit. When this happened I had a moment where I wanted to go into complete stall mode. Like what am I supposed to do in that moment? I can't just set him down, because he will get whatever I set him down on dirty. I can't begin to clean him because my hands are dirty. In that moment I was overwhelmed and almost just wanted to bail from the situation as fast as I could. What I was in the middle of was not where I wanted to be. I had to take a moment and take a deep breath and just breath. I then had to ask myself the question, what is the next best step I needed to take. In that situation the next best step was to set him down on something I could throw away or clean afterwards. I then needed to wash my hands. The process could then begin. I just needed to start the process by taking the next best step.
I write this blog more for myself than for anyone else reading this, so this advice is for me more than it is for you as a reader. So, here it is. You know in life sometimes there is so much crap that hits the fan that we become so overwhelmed that we don't know what to do next. Recently, I have been faced with more stuff coming at me than I have any idea to do with.
I currently am leading/serving/supporting more people in this season than I think I ever have. With that I get the humbling opportunity to hear and support those going through difficult seasons. I have a brand new baby at home and I have no idea what I am doing. Kara and I are navigating what marriage looks like with a new little one that needs constant attention. There are so many people around me walking through health issues, family drama, or marital discord that it's pretty heartbreaking. My ministry is not growing like it has in the past. We are doing all the right things right now, but the numbers just aren't what they used to be and the growth is not happening. Many days all of this rains down on me at once and feels quite paralyzing. I become so overwhelmed that I don't do anything or sometimes I just react to everything and I end up going in all sorts of directions, but not really going anywhere.
As I reflect on this I have three takeaways. The first is to take the next best step. I need to just keep moving. I don't need to react. I don't need to bail. I just need to take the next best step. Similar to the blowout with the diaper. I needed to just set baby down, and then wash my hands working myself through the process.
My second takeaway is to trust God solely and not to trust in myself or other people. I love James 1:5-8. I need to just ask God for wisdom in these situations and to trust him in all things. Often times, I'm looking for worldly wisdom, or approval from people and I just need to pause and ask God for the wisdom I need in that moment.
The third takeaway is that I need to continue seeking God and His word every day. Jeremiah 15:16 says, "When I discovered your words, I devoured them. They are my joy and my heart's delight, for I bear your name, O Lord God of Heaven's Armies." I want to have that same desire for God's word that I devour it and that it is my joy and delight. I think my life will be filled with a lot more peace and be laid out with clear next steps if I do that very thing.
Here's to taking the best next step whenever a blowout happens.
