Last year, I took on the challenge of writing and posting every day. That meant 365 posts containing over 100,000 words.

This year, I have a different goal: to post at least once every week. This allows me space to pursue some other creative outlets, like writing my next book and launching a podcast.

But because I’m writing less, I’ve also noticed something over the first few weeks of the year that I don’t like. My “once a week” post is happening more and more on Saturdays. What was a point of focus last year has begun to get squeezed to the last day of the week this year.

It isn’t that the other things aren’t noteworthy; they are. It’s simply a lack of intentionality on my part. Being intentional is the necessary ingredient to fighting “The Squeeze.” If we aren’t intentional about what we will (and will not) do, things tend to get squeezed out, or, in my case, squeezed into the last possible slot.

If you’re finding important things like relationships, fitness, and personal, spiritual, mental, and emotional growth getting “the squeeze” in your week, then it’s probably time to re-evaluate your focus.

For me, it means setting the reminder for my writing goal to pop up mid-week instead of the end of the week because something as small and intentional as that can make all the difference!

Sometimes, I have the most random thoughts, and the other day was no exception. Out of nowhere, I started wondering how I would answer someone who refused to believe in God because of evil in the world.

The thought probably isn’t as random as the place where the thought occurred to me: I was running on a treadmill. Apparently, treadmills are the proof that evil exists in the world. And all the runners in the house said, “Amen!”

Let me ask you how you would respond? It seems like such an overwhelming argument against God’s existence, doesn’t it? In fact, it’s the number one reason people choose to be an atheist (side not, I don’t think atheism is possible because the one who doesn’t believe in God ends up being their own god) or an agnostic. It’s an intimidating objection, and one that most followers of Jesus feel very unqualified to answer.

At that moment on the treadmill, I decided that the next time someone asks me to explain how an all-good and all-powerful God could exist and allow evil to occur in the world, I’m going to tell them that I have the answer, but I’ll only tell them after they pay off all my debt.

More than likely, they’ll object to that because I still have a balance on my house and a car, and they might not have the means to pay those off. So, I’d offer a smaller debt, maybe $300 or $400 worth of debt that I ran up with stupid purchases on my credit card.

My guess is that they would refuse again, and probably say something wise and adult sounding like, “You need to take responsibility for YOUR debt.”

If you’re tracking with me, then you know what I’d ask them next. First, I’d ask them if they thought they were good? Most people do. But if they can’t understand how a good God could allow evil to exist, then I would ask them how they could think they were good if they allowed my evil debt to exist?

Maybe, like they say about God, He really is good, but He isn’t all-powerful, and so He really can’t do anything about evil in the world. Then I would ask them if they had the resources to wipe out my stupid debt, and while they would probably want to say no, most people can find what they need to tackle a couple of hundred dollars worth of payments over a few months.

Not only can a God who is good, loving, and powerful exist in a world where evil happens, He actually did pay our debt through the death of His Son on the cross to cover the sinful mess that we made.

Sure, my treadmill conversation with an imaginary person wasn’t real, but the hope that we have in the goodness of God is. And I’ll tell anyone about it anytime, anywhere, and I won’t even make them pay off my credit card.

Photo by Tim Gouw on Unsplash

At 10:56 p.m. EST on July 20, 1969, the American astronaut Neil Armstrong put his left foot on the surface of the moon and spoke words that will live forever:

“That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.”

His words carried within them a truth that we often overlook, so let me state it clearly: when it comes to small steps toward a greater goal, one small step is never just one small step.

Even God sees it, and said as much through an angel to the prophet, Zechariah.

Do not despise these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin… (‭‭Zechariah‬ ‭4:10‬ ‭NLT‬‬)

Never forget that the biggest dreams begin with the smallest steps, and even when the big dream comes to pass, there will be more small steps to take on the way to whatever is next.

Small steps never stop, and the only way they can keep us from achieving big things is if we take a whole bunch of them in the wrong direction.

So set your compass to the correct heading, and start walking.