As we finished singing and sat down to hear the announcements, I wrote on the top of my notebook, “No Excuses.” The phrase seemingly came from nowhere. I had thought during the worship time and prayer that I really should stop making excuses. It seems I’ve had an excuse for everything lately. I don’t feel good so I don’t work out. I’m depressed so I don’t do this. I’m scared of failing so I don’t that. I’m tired so I don’t do anything. “No Excuses! I’ve got to stop it.” I thought. I remembered Rachel telling me I need to start acting like a soldier.
I continued writing down little notes about upcoming church events and listing things I needed to do later in the week. “No Excuses” got lost in the scribbles.
I hadn’t received a program so I didn’t know what Pastor Kyle planned on preaching that morning. His sermon title: Risky Business. I began to take notes on the sermon… jotting down key phrases. Risk and reward. Obedience is not an option… And then the next PowerPoint slide showed up on the screen. Excuses. He preached about excuses…about Fear and Failure and Finances… all of the things I had worried been thinking about. All of the excuses I had been making. When I realized what he was preaching about, I remembered the words I had written on the top of my page.
“No Excuses.”
OK God, I think I got the message.
