Tag You're It

Remember playing Tag, You’re It as a child? We ran around, full of laughter, waiting for the next adventure and wondering who would be "it" next. Our stomachs ached from that pure, joyful laughter, the kind that lifts your spirit and never feels heavy or gloomy. It all felt so natural then, yet now, in retrospect, almost out of reach.

Looking back, that game was played on an even field. Yes, someone had to be tagged and become the next seeker, but it taught us something invaluable: we can adapt, participate, and take on challenges. No one questioned whether they would get the chance to play. We all did. Each of us had to put in the effort to make it work, and somehow, it always did.

People often say that life doesn't come with an instruction book. I don't believe that's entirely true. Those simple childhood games, now fading into memory, carried their own structure, rules, and lessons. Even when we no longer remember the exact steps or turns, the principles remain.

For me, the ultimate instruction book has always been where my faith leads me,my Bible.

This reflection took me back to a time in my own life when I stayed silent because that's what I had been taught to do. I believed my thoughts didn't matter, so I kept them to myself.

One day, while I was in a group, someone looked at me and asked, "Linda, what do you think?"

I froze.

I was so afraid that I would say something that had nothing to do with the conversation that I simply replied, "I really need to study the subject a little closer."

The truth is, I did have something to say.

Later, someone came up to me and said, "I wish you would have shared your thoughts. It would have given all of us a different outlook."

Those words stayed with me. I realized how often fear keeps us from stepping forward. Fear of standing out. Fear of being wrong. Fear of not being enough. Because of that fear, we hold back the very things God may be asking us to share.

Today, I no longer carry that old way of thinking. I have taken it off and left it behind. When God nudges me to speak, I speak. When He calls me to join in, I join. My voice isn't about drawing attention to myself; it's about being obedient to the One who gave me that voice in the first place.

Living the Lesson

Just like in Tag, life calls on each of us to take our turn, to step up, move forward, and put in the work to reach the goals God has placed before us. He doesn't ask us to sit on the sidelines. He equips us to run the race He has marked out for us.

This week, identify one area in your life where you've been waiting to begin, a goal, a dream, a conversation, or a step of personal growth. Then take one deliberate action. It doesn't have to be a giant leap. It simply has to be a step of faith.

And if God is nudging you to speak, don't let fear convince you that your voice doesn't matter. Someone may be waiting to hear exactly what God has placed on your heart.

When you're asked to speak, don't focus  on yourself, focus on what God is asking you to do.

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us."                  Hebrews 12:1

Remember: You've been tagged. Now it's your turn to move.

                               L.Y.