What's stopping you? by Fiona Lloyd

            I’ve always had a soft spot for Moses. He spends the first 40 years of his life in pampered luxury, followed by another 40 tending sheep in the desert.

Then, one amazing day, he encounters God in a burning bush. 

            “Take off your shoes,” says God. “This is a holy place.”

He goes on to spell out to Moses the plans that he has for the Israelites, and how Moses will be the one to lead them out of slavery and into the Promised Land.

            “Fantastic!” says Moses. “I feel honoured that you’ve asked me to do this, and I have absolute faith that you’ll be with me every step of the way. I’ll go and speak to Pharaoh immediately.”

            Except we know that’s not quite what happened. Moses concocted a vast array of excuses. Suppose Pharaoh doesn’t listen? Come to that, suppose the Israelites don’t listen? Oh, and by the way, I’m not really much of a public speaker. God – being God – dealt patiently with each objection, and after a while, Moses ran out of ideas. But he still had one thing left to say:

            “Please God, send somebody else.”

            He must have sounded like the most truculent of teenagers. However, we know how the story ends. Despite an unpromising start, Moses went on to lead the people of Israel for 40 years, and experience first-hand the miracle of God’s provision. He’s mentioned in Hebrews 11 (along with many others) as an example of someone who lived out their faith.

            The story of Moses gives me confidence when I’m feeling I’ve messed it all up again. It’s good to remember that God chooses to work through flawed individuals. But I think there are valuable lessons here for my writing, too. Sometimes, when I feel I’m not making much progress, it’s tempting to start making excuses. No one’s ever going to read this. I don’t know how to fix this. I’m sure it’s about time I cleaned the bathroom. 

            But the God who called Moses is the same God who speaks to us today. If he’s called me to write, then my response should be to get on with it. He doesn’t promise that my words will be read by thousands (or even hundreds), but I can rest assured that my calling is part of his plan.

Fiona Lloyd works part-time as a music teacher, and serves on the worship-leading team at her local church. She enjoys writing short stories, and is working on her first novel. Fiona self-published a violin tutor book in 2013, and blogs at www.fjlloyd.wordpress.com. She is married with three children. Fiona is ACW's membership secretary.