The heart of man plans his way, but The Lord establishes his steps. – Proverbs 16:9 (ESV)

I am truly getting a deeper sense if just have debilitating perfectionism can be. I realize that, without a solid plan and some assurance of success, it is really really – really – difficult to launch and see to fruition any project.

Really.

Most mornings I get out of bed and head downstairs for my morning jolt of caffeine. As I descend the stairs in the predawn dark, I try to be conscious of where the landing is. Like the old saying goes, be careful of that last step. It’s a dooooozy!

Most mornings I succeed in not overshooting (or underestimating) that last step. I have been known to step out one step too soon with painful, noisy and humbling results. Yesterday my foot blindly landed on a very disgusting little gift our dog created – evidently not more than a few minutes prior to my unpleasant discovery.

Life is like this. We are walking in the dark, unsure of what is just ahead of us. We may think we know. We may feel very sure of what will come next. We have planned every step meticulously. We have counted each footfall as we go downstairs in the dark.

What we didn’t count for was what the dog did in our path.

When we step in the unexpected, we can yell and bark and be disgusted and shame the dog. Or we can stop, clean up the mess, wash our feet and continue.

Life should come with these instructions: plan loosely. Proceed. Mess up. Clean up. Learn. Apply. Repeat.

You don’t have to know the outcome. God has that covered: “For I know the plans I have for you, declares The Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope” (Jeremiah 29:11, ESV).

Don’t let uncertainty lull you into inactivity. Go. Do. Trust God. Remember: perfection is way out of our pay grade.

(C) 2014 by Chris Courtney. All rights reserved. Please feel free to share this piece of encouragement with anybody who you feel would be blessed by it.

Follow Chris at http://www.bouvillediarist.wordpress.com