“When you walk to the edge of all the light you have
and take that first step into the darkness of the unknown,
you must believe that one of two things will happen:
There will be something solid for you to stand upon,
or, you will be taught how to fly.”
©Patrick Overton, The Leaning Tree, 1975
How many of us have come to the edge of all the light we have and remained right there because we were too afraid to step into the darkness of the unknown? I know I have.
Stepping into the darkness…that’s how GIATI Ministries came about. (GIATI, by the way, is an acronym for “God is All There Is.”) For years I’d been talking about feeling a divine calling, but feeling a calling and acting on it are two different things. Finally I couldn’t take not doing anything to fulfill what I saw as my calling.
Up until now I’ve always been a perfectionist. I wanted to see everything laid out in a nice orderly way. I had to think through all the possible outcomes and have a contingency plan for each one, because . . . well, let’s face it, you never know what’s going to happen from one moment to the next. Planning for every scenario means being prepared if something goes wrong.
But you know what? Perfectionism keeps you from taking action. It paralyzes you. Neale
Donald Walsch said, “Perfection is the obstacle of creation and the enemy of achievement.” I can testify to that! I’m the guy who felt called to ministry when I was 14, and who took 35 years to actually become a minister . . . all because things had to be “just so” before I’d take that first step.
Several years ago, Dr. Susan Jeffers published a book called Feel the Fear and Do It
Anyway. The title makes a good motto. I highly recommend adopting it. Granted, it’s not always easy to do. That’s where faith comes in. You’ve got to believe, just like Patrick Overton said. I’m mindful that it took a lot of years before I was able to feel the fear and do it anyway, but once I did, things started to fall into place. One small step led to another, and along the way I met people who helped me to go farther and not give up.
I want to leave you with this poem, which is attributed to French poet Guillaume Apollinaire:
“Come to the edge,” he said.
They said, “We are afraid.”
“Come to the edge,” he said.
They came. He pushed them. And they flew.
Much love and many blessings,
Rev. Jeff
If you need a friendly ear or some prayer support, let me know. If you’d like some in-depth counseling or coaching support, I’m here to help. Fees to the ministry are reasonable. No one is ever turned away for an inability to pay. You can reach me via email me at revjeff@GIATI-Ministries.org and set up an appointment for me to call you. (Be sure to include your phone number!) Donations can be made through PayPal using the email address iamspiritexpressing@yahoo.com
Rev. Jeff Radcliff 