According to NationalGeographic.org, “precipitation is any liquid or frozen water that forms in the atmosphere and falls back to Earth.” Among the several forms, it can fall as rain, sleet, and snow. We don’t think of these nuances when we feel the rain or see the snow. But like the huge piece of ice that lurks below the water surface of an iceberg, there is more than meets the eye all around us.

Someone once asked me the question,

“Do you know how we learned to fly?”

“How?”, I asked.

“The birds,” he answered.

Truly the hummingbird perfected hovering way before we invented helicopters.

Around us there is more to nature than we imagined. Scientists even believe there is more to the galaxy than we thought. So, it is no stretch to reason that there is more to each person than we perceive. We each have layers of complexity which make us who we are and affect how we are day by day. We could be up one day and down another. We could feel in control one day and flailing on the other. Sometimes we find ourselves doing just the things we do not want to do (Romans 7:19).

We all need grace and God has given us the model to strive towards,

The Lord’s acts of mercy indeed do not end,

For His compassions do not fail.

They are new every morning;

Great is Your faithfulness.

Lamentations 3:22-23

During this week show grace to someone you know, who may not seem to be on their A game. You may feel that person keeps falling short of your standard. Interestingly, you may not measure up to someone else’s standard either for we all have areas of opportunity. In fact, we all fall short of God’s standard (Romans 3:23). Yet it is because of His grace that we get to see another day.

The Lord is my shepherd,

I will not be in need.

2 He lets me lie down in green pastures;

He leads me beside quiet waters.

3 He restores my soul;

He guides me in the paths of righteousness

For the sake of His name.

Psalm 23:1-3

Imagine you are on the bank of a clear, and clean river. The water is flowing calmly and there are tropical trees around. Down the river you can see white sandy beaches, fun activities and even places to simply relax if you want. Then in front of you are people sailing past you in small boats. They are enjoying delicious food and drinks and heading toward the activities down the river from you. The way for you to enjoy what is going on and what is ahead is simply to walk out on a nearby dock and get on a boat. Does this describe a dream vacation?

This is a metaphor for life. If you do participate in life, it will pass you by and you will be left with regrets. How do you participate? By not just working hard but going for those dreams you have. How do you do that? By writing them down and visualizing them daily. How do you start? With doing the one thing that would make everything else easy or unnecessary according to Gary Keller in “The One Thing.” When do you start? Now! After doing that one thing, it will be the first domino in a series of other dominoes that will eventually knock down the ultimate one. One domino may seem so small and even insignificant but each one is a little milestone, and it is required to knock down the other one in the process. Do not worry about not feeling completely ready or having everything in perfect alignment before starting. Making the first step is critical.

Now, where do you see yourself 10 years from now? How about 5 years from now? How about a year from now? Start with that first domino by going to your dock and getting on the boat.