Just earlier this week, I was sitting at my desk feeling frustrated and restless. There are so many things I want to do. I wanted to start a YouTube channel, to dive into Bible research, to finally write that novel that’s been living in my head for years. I wanted to learn to draw, to sew, to paint—to create something that felt meaningful. But instead, I just sat there, frozen in place.
It isn’t that I lack ideas or passion; it’s fear that holds me still. Fear of choosing the wrong project, of wasting time, of pouring myself into something that might never amount to anything—that I will never amount to anything.
It’s a quiet, persistent voice we all hear whispering doubts that drown out the truth I know from Scripture: that “God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and self-discipline” (2 Timothy 1:7).
Whether it’s career, hobbies, family, or lifestyle, there are endless opportunities… and endless risks of failure. I try to trust God, pray for direction, and wait quietly for a response, but it doesn’t always ease that ache inside. The ache that wonders if I’m somehow falling behind on what God has called me to do.
And realistically—how much time do we really have? We can’t always just “follow our dreams” without reality reminding us of our responsibilities, finances, and limits.
So here I sit, hoping to pursue something I love—chasing a perfect balance of passion and practicality, all while trying to discern what God actually wants me to do—yet feeling pulled in so many directions that I end up going nowhere.
So what’s the answer? What’s the next step? I often find myself asking God if He might just send down an arrow with a little note attached telling me what the plan is. (I haven’t received that yet, but I still check the porch occasionally, just in case.)
Recently, though, I came across a phrase in Anne Lamott’s book Bird by Bird that stuck with me: “The Gulf Stream will flow through a straw, provided the straw is aligned to the Gulf Stream.”
I realized I’ve been fighting the flow—trying to make my plans fit instead of aligning myself with God’s. Maybe the point isn’t to chase the perfect project. Maybe it’s to just make sure that God is a part of whatever it is I’m doing. After all, no matter what direction I place my first step, isn’t God the one who guides the next?
He may not always show us the whole map, but He knows every path laid before us, even (and especially) when we can’t see the big picture. And maybe that’s mercy, not mystery—because if we saw the whole road ahead, we might never learn to trust Him along the way.
The truth is, purpose doesn’t always begin with clarity—it often begins with obedience. Sometimes we have to begin before we understand. As Proverbs 16:9 reminds us, “In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps.” Our job isn’t to have it all figured out; it’s to stay faithful, keep moving, and let Him direct the flow.
Being too afraid to take a single step in any direction will limit what God is ready to do through any direction. If we never take that first step, we’ll never see the beautiful journey He wants to lead us on.
So if you’re in that same place of waiting, wondering, or fearing that you’ll make the wrong choices, remember this: He will work through every attempt, every restart, every dream that didn’t turn out the way you planned.
Invite Him into every project, decision, and step you take. Trust that He will guide you. Even when the way forward feels uncertain, He is weaving every moment into His perfect and beautiful plan.
The wonderful thing about God is that He accounts for our choices and errors. He corrects and redirects, but most importantly, we know through Romans 8:28 that “for those who love God all things work together for good.”
