Magic Bullets

We all want them.

Overnight success. Viral ideas. Instant vaccines.

Magic bullets are illusions, of course. Overnight success springs “magically” from lots of sleepless nights, crumpled papers, and cold coffee. Successful ideas almost always rest on a string of “failures.”

The scientific method doesn’t care about expediency. Skip steps and you might get faster results, but don’t be surprised when your magic serum fails to do the job.

This week my friend Jon Swanson marks 3,000 posts at his blog 300 Words A Day. When he announced this remarkable milestone, my initial reaction was, “Impossible! No one can write 900,000 words.”

It’s true. If one decided to write 900,000 words, the task would be overwhelming. But it’s possible to write 300 words. And if one is faithful and writes 300 words a day, day after day since 2009, the words accumulate over weeks and months and years.

+ + +

After my injury in 1987, I expected healing. I was sure if I prayed enough, believed enough, begged enough, God would reach down and touch me and the horror of paralysis would disappear. Credits would roll, music would crescendo, and we’d fade out to a happy HALLMARK MOVIE ending.

I still believe that healing will occur. My injury isn’t fair, and the day will come when perfect justice is established. The timing, however, isn’t up to me.

I’ve learned that Jesus didn’t promise magic bullets. He promised to travel with you and me as we journey faithfully. He asked us to do what we can, where we are, with what we have…and trust Him for the outcome.

Personally, I like the magic bullet idea better. However, He’s God. I’m not.

Daily faithfulness. One mile or 300 words at a time.