"Just the beginning - there's so much more God has in store. This is not the end, this is just the overture. I know you're blessed, but you still haven't seen God's best, not yet. Just the beginning - in your heart you know what God has promised you. Never compromise, never settle for less than you're due."
These lines are just a few that stand out for me. Have you ever had a season (especially a long one) of transition or change or growth or trial that has been... a lot to handle? You knew that the season was helping you grow and shift things in your life, but it was still tiring or frustrating or draining or whatever other unpleasant adjective. For some such seasons, there's a definitive ending date and time, like graduating from school. But for most seasons, there is no such blessing. You're not sure when any sort of end or relief might find you. I saw someone minister through mime to "Turning Around for Me," a song about the circumstances you're in becoming more favorable, but I was almost afraid to hope.
Yet, the repetition of "Just the Beginning," I thought, maybe.... And as new opportunities begin to become visible, I am finding myself allowing the potential energy from possibilities excite me just a little. At the same time, some of the possibilities ahead, while awe-inspiring and life-giving, present some challenges that I have not yet faced. While they are not insurmountable, they present some cause for apprehension. Any new opportunity can bring with it the possibilities of being challenged and stretched. While I would prefer the challenges to come over the challenges that I currently have, that doesn't mean that with all that's possible, I'm not feeling some anticipatory fear.
But the beautiful thing about God is that even with the fear that we might experience, there can come great empowerment and assurance. What God calls us to, God equips us to do. God has enough wisdom to understand that we need to be in certain places at certain times of our lives. The timing works out perfectly, the right people are in place, the resources are there, and things just tend to flow when they are allowed to go when and where God leads. So while there might be reason to be afraid and apprehensive, there's never reason not to do what you're called to do. This is just the beginning....