Don’t wait. What’s one step you can take today to get moving toward one of your important goals?

I was a member of my church's youth choir for many years. I don’t remember much about the music we rehearsed, but I do remember that our choir director ended every rehearsal with a life lesson.

One day, our director said he had a very special gift for our group.  He pulled out a bag and passed it around. “Only take one item,” he said. I expected to get a piece of candy as an early Halloween treat. Instead, I pulled out a small, circular piece of wood about the size of a quarter. The letters “T-U-I-T” were written on it. My friends and I gave each other puzzled looks. What could this special gift possibly be?

“Does anyone know what this is?” the director asked, while holding up one of the wooden coins.

“A wooden nickel!” said one of my friends. Everyone laughed.

“No, not quite,” the director replied. After a few more unsuccessful guesses, he explained that most people spend the majority of their lives waiting to do something important. They may have big plans but they often fail to take action. When asked what they’re waiting for, they usually remark, “I just haven’t gotten around to it.”

“Today, each of you has been give one round ‘tuit’, so if there’s anything that you’re waiting to get around to, you’ve got no more excuses. . . just do it.”

At the time, I didn’t understand this lesson but in the years since, I’ve seen the wisdom in this lesson at work in my life many times. Often, we are aware of the important things we should be doing: deepening our relationship with God, family and friends; making a difference at work or in our community; starting a project that will stretch us. But we feel like we have to wait until the timing is perfect. So we tell ourselves that one day, we’ll get around to it.

But we have to remember that people who make the most of their time on earth realize that the perfect moment will never come, so they take action anyway.

Today I want to encourage you to take one small step toward one of your important goals. The circumstances may not be perfect, and you may not have every resource lined up, but once you take that first step, you’ll discover how moving in the right direction can build momentum. Don’t wait. Get to it!

Lastly, remember James 1:22-24 which says, “Don’t fool yourself into thinking that you are a listener when you are anything but, letting the Word go in one ear and out the other. Act on what you hear! Those who hear and don’t act are like those who glance in the mirror, walk away, and two minutes later have no idea who they are, what they look like.” (The Message)

What’s one thing that you’ve been waiting to get around to? What’s one step you can take today to get moving?