I was almost ready to give up. The night before, a friend and I had attended a large annual Christmas craft sale, in search of gifts or other treasures. An item had caught my eye but I hadn’t purchased it. Neither had I forgotten it. After my husband returned from work, he took me to the second night of the show so I could buy this gift for my daughter.

At least if I could find it. The vendor stall was near the back of the building. The dense crowd made it difficult to navigate. I pushed my way through, scanning the merchandise, turning corner after corner, trying to complete my coveted goal. Finally, I wondered if I should accept defeat. And suddenly there it was. The stall I was looking for. I gratefully made my purchase and prepared to exit the building.

If it were only that easy. Where was the exit? Everything became a maze of stalls, merchandise and crowds of people, crowds so dense that it was difficult to make any kind of forward progress. I am not exactly agoraphobic but could feel myself getting hot and anxious. It seemed I was wandering in circles, seeing the same tables, going through exits only to find that they didn’t lead to the front of the building.

Some years ago, I learned that if you need to make your way quickly through a crowd, one of the best strategies is to look at your feet. This technique sounds counterintuitive but works. You retain your sense of where people are but are not distracted by other sights. I looked at my feet and kept moving, kept trying new directions and finally arrived at another exit. By this time I was looking up again and saw a lady I had worked with. She told me how to get to the front of the building by walking outside for a short distance. Soon I was in the van with my husband, telling him the story of my harrowing experience.

As we enter 2020, many of us have goals, dreams and challenges. Sometimes the path ahead is clear and straight forward. Often it is not. The obstacles may seem too bewildering or difficult to overcome. We may be tempted to drift into the future, taking the path of least resistance. What are our options?

Don’t give up

If I had not walked a few steps further, after debating if my search was futile, I would not have found the gift for my daughter. Unless you decide that your goal is not your destiny, keep going until you obtain it.

Wait

David said, “I waited patiently for the Lord; he turned to me and heard my cry” (Psalm 40:1, NIV). This type of waiting is not passive. David was waiting on God with expectation and hope. Some situations are simply out of our control. They may be dependent on another person or other factors. Our active waiting and trust release our faith. God hears our cries and answers in his time.

Take action

In other circumstances, we may be required to take action. We are still waiting, still trusting in God’s guidance and power, but need to pursue our object aggressively and relentlessly. I would not have found my way out of the building standing still. Sometimes we have to push forward, retrace our steps, turn corners, find another exit, change direction, ignore our discomfort and put one foot unceasingly in front of another until we reach our destination.

Look at your feet

My pastor has often said that when we are stuck, we may need to do something different. Shake things up, consider new possibilities. Looking through a small crack in the wall can open up an entirely new vista. Making a small change can bring sudden resolution. Look at your feet!

My daughter, Andrea, loved her gift. It was well worth struggling through the crowds. In 2020 go after your dreams. May this be your best year yet!

Happy New Year!