I overheard my neighbor talking to my mom.
“Nancy runs everywhere. I sit here on my porch and day after day I see her bolt out the back door like she’s going to a fire. I don’t think I’ve ever seen her walk. I often wonder why she’s in such a hurry.”
At eight years old, I had many reasons for running out the back door. Maybe I was eager for the of freedom of being outdoors and playing in the tree house. Or maybe I had a message to give my dad, so I ran to the garage in the back of our property. Or maybe my mom was working outside, and I wanted to share what happened at school. Maybe I was heading to the pool. Whatever it was, I was eager to get there.
Psalms 119:32 says, “I will run in the way of your commandments when you enlarge my heart!”
As an adult. There is a very small chance you will see me running. And if you do, join me in the direction I’m going, because there’s certainly something chasing us. So, when I read this verse, it made me pause. What would it look like to run in the way of God’s commandments?
The other part of the verse talks about God enlarging my heart. What would an enlarged heart look like? One that doesn’t freak out and panic? A heart that trusts God and doesn’t try and manipulate Him by begging Him to answer my prayers the way I want them answered?
Just like heart tells my body what to do. I need the power of God to give my mind and emotions the ability to love fully. Fear made my world a small place. I want to run again with enthusiasm and fervor, like when I was a kid. One thing that has helped when I’m about to do something that makes me uncomfortable is to ask myself, “What would I do if I wasn’t afraid?”
It meant saying, “No.” when I needed to instead of avoiding conflict. It meant answering the phone when it rang, and I didn’t know who was on the other end. It meant not being afraid meant going to a gathering alone instead of staying home. It meant being honest when the doctor asked how I was doing. It meant letting God change my plans.
Those may seem small to you, each of us is at a different place in our journey. Your brave might look a lot different than mine. But whatever you’re facing this week, knowing each time we do something we are afraid of, God is enlarging our hearts. May we all run like we are eight years old again.
What would you do if you weren’t afraid?