When I was young, we used to take trips to the park. We loved to skip stones and see how many jumps we could get. We would ride our bikes and play on the playground. However, the little adventurer in me loved to see how far I could go to explore. Inevitably, this would lead me to a section of a river at the park that was shallow enough that I could jump from stone to stone, and it would take me across to the other side.

There was always that one spot I’d get to where the rocks were dangerously far apart. An internal challenge would arise within me. Could I make it? Was it worth the risk of falling in the water? The costs and rewards of making the jump stood before me as I decided whether I wanted to take the leap.

What I’ve discovered over the years is that there are steppingstones, just like the ones in those rivers, throughout life. Some are easy and don’t take much thought; you just jump and keep your balance, and it feels simple. However, there are others that feel dangerously far apart and the cost of making that next jump weighs heavily. Sometimes the cost is so high that it paralyzes you from being able to move.

Do I take the job or not? Do I marry the guy I’m dating, or will this end in heartbreak? Should I pursue that degree or begin my career? Should I start having a family or do I wait for a “better time?” Should I buy that house I loved, or will it end up sinking our finances?

Personally, over the past few years, it feels like the steppingstones in my life have moved further and further apart. Each jump has had a greater risk. Not just for myself now, but for my husband, my future children, and for each person my life intersects with. The fear of failure, of falling into the river, can feel incapacitating. The challenge to trust God in everything has been a journey of growth in conquering the steppingstones in my life.

Proverbs 3:5-6 (NKJV) | Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.

I have repeatedly heard this verse play throughout my mind over the past year. In a sense, it has been a “theme verse” of my life in this season. If I leave the decision to myself, it feels overwhelming and impossible, but in the moments where I have chosen to trust God with that next step, even when it feels impossibly far apart, I have found that I can and do accomplish the impossible.

Trusting God fully requires letting go of control. You won’t always know the outcome before you take that next leap. But when He is directing your steps, each stone is worth the risk, because He is good, He loves you and what He has for you is good.

So today I would ask you, what are the steppingstones in your life that you need to trust God with? What areas can you fully surrender to His control in your life? Let go and take the leap with Jesus. It’ll be worth it.