Gravel tumbled down the face of the cliff. He heard more slip from beneath his feet and go over the edge as he clutched the fragile roots that came from the earthen wall next to him. The narrow ledge beneath his feet held him from the chasm that opened below, providing scenic vistas of the depths of the canyon that from a safe vantage point would have been awe inspiring. But now, here, he couldn’t bear to take in the scene. All he could do was press into the rooted wall and close his eyes.

“I can’t,” he heard himself say, panic packed around every syllable.

“You must,” came the answer.

“But I can’t!” he managed to say in even more desperate tones.

“There is no way back from here. Forward is the only possibility.”

“I don’t know,” he said, “I think this is a great place. Maybe we could just stay here.”

“Nonsense! You can’t even sit down. You’ll tired shortly and then what?”

“All I know is I can’t do this!”

“You don’t have to do this. All you have to do is take one step, the next step. Then we’ll worry about the step after that. One step. That you can do. Now lift your foot and move.”

********

Do you know that feeling?

I do. Right now.

Doing the will of God can be scary. Stepping out to follow God’s commands is more than a little frightening at the moment.

But back is not an option; forward is the only way.

Forward is the challenge that confronts me right now. One step. Just one. Together with Him.

Ready?

No, I don’t think so.

But here we go …