BOMT: I Never Said It Would Be Easy

Often God's solutions to our problems involve giving us more work. God seems to eschew the life of ease. Consider this classic line from chapter 17: "and because of the simpleness of the way, or the easiness of it, there were many who perished."

Recently I've been blessed with so many opportunities and at the same time burdened with too much to juggle, too many balls to keep in the air. I am terrified of dropping one of those balls. But the juggling has become pretty intense. I've been praying for direction.

One of the largest of these balls, The Living Room podcast, has actually been snowballing...in terms of listeners and building a community, and also in terms of work for us and cost for us to produce. When this opportunity originally came up, I asked the Lord if this was just "one more thing" or if it was an essential—something He really wanted and needed me to do. (Because otherwise it's a really taxing and expensive hobby!) The answer was so clear: "If I went to the trouble to part this red sea for you, you should walk across it." Wow. Okay.

When things rolled out of control last month, and so many items on my growing to-do list collided, my positive attitude waned. I asked again: Is this still something I should be doing? Or is it taking me away from more important tasks? I pleaded: Can The Living Room at least begin to pay for itself...because this is not sustainable in the long term.

Right around this time another opportunity arose...a paid writing assignment for a large online publication. Such an unexpected offer, and quite an honor. I prayed and fasted about this one too. I'm already writing quite a bit for The Living Room. I needed to know if this, too, was just "one more thing." The answer completely surprised me. I felt my heart expand to embrace it, my mind was flooded with ideas. So I added one more ball to my juggling act.

Nephi (2600 years ago) had an impossible-looking assignment from God: Build a boat. When his brothers complain about the work, doubt its results, and refuse to help, Nephi's rebuke is a great one for us all: "Murmur not, neither withhold your labor." Don't complain, Dive in! He had no idea how he was to accomplish it. But he allowed God to direct him every step of the way, and refused to doubt in his ability, with God on his side. Nephi actually had to make his own tools. (If I had to make my own computer I would have given up a long time ago!)

Just this morning it occurred to me: This was an answer to one of my earlier prayers. God didn't wave a magic wand and suddenly give The Living Room a million listeners and a steady stream of advertisers. Instead, He gave me more work. But this work will give me the exact amount of money I need to pay every month to keep The Living Room on the air. He has pointed me toward the tools and given me the means make it happen.