Eat that Frog!

Many of you know that I went on a little trip last week where I had some life-changing experiences with some extraordinary people. I experienced a rollercoaster of emotion, and a light went on in my head when I was taking a tour of a school. We rounded a corner and in one of the offices, there was a young man (probably somewhere between 18-22) hunched over a laptop. He had loosened his tie and I could see that he was communicating with someone via his video messenger. As soon as we walked into the office, he turned off the messenger, stood, straightened his tie, and greeted us. His role was to lead middle school boys from the school in faith, service and charity. The woman who was leading our tour asked him what he was up to that day, and he turned his laptop screen towards us.

He was designing a flag with the words "Eat that frog" splashed across it. He shared with us that he had been using that phrase to encourage the boys he was working with to quit procrastinating. He further explained that Mark Twain once said that if the first thing you do each morning is to eat a live frog, you can go through the day with the satisfaction of knowing that that is probably the worst thing that is going to happen to you all day long.

As he continued to speak, I was not only impressed by his maturity but also grateful for his service to youth and building the Kingdom of God. I left that school reflecting on those words in my head. "Eat that frog." How often have I procrastinated out of fear, lack of trust, or just plain old laziness? And how often have I judged a situation to be too unpleasant to enter into? I knew that I was where I was because God had directed my feet to be there, but I couldn't help but wonder why it had taken so long to get me to a place where I knew I belonged. I realized that in part, it was because of me. God had been beckoning me for a long time, and I would brush it off with excuses saying that I had other things to do first. In doing so, I was also brushing off a love greater than I could have ever imagined. I realized that taking a small step is better than not taking a step at all or taking a step back or even a step to the side. In that moment, I committed to stop procrastinating. Instead, I made a choice to move always forward, never back. I know it won't be easy, but I also know that with Christ the Bridegroom by my side, I can do it.

I sit here now with those words still in my mind: "Eat that frog." And I smile as I add on a few words, "Eat that frog because you never know when eating the frog will lead you to your prince...or better yet, a King."