It’s funny to think back on where I was when starting a blog.

I sit here this evening – the house is still.  Everyone’s asleep and here I am.  In my chair, with my headphones, my laptop, three different translations, two different notebooks and one incredible desire to share the goodness of a God who is even more faithful than I could ever imagine.

I wrote my very first blog post from an orange leather desk chair (still at my desk today) in a borrowed bedroom too far from home.  Life Outside the Boat was really just the beginning of a journey of following Jesus into dangerous and unknown places.  More specifically…suburban Kansas.

When I launched that first post, my internet “know-how” began and ended with only one social media outlet and one video streaming site.  Even then I was a little lost.  But here we are.  Just over three years later – still a little internet illiterate.  But just as willing to learn for the sake of following a call to something bigger than myself and my little story.

You see, starting a blog didn’t take a ton of money or knowledge.  It just took a willingness to learn.  A willingness to be vulnerable.  A willingness to lay bare all that was still so raw and hopeful and adolescent.  To share my little part in history – in HIS-story.

The thing is, we all have a part.  We all have a story that is irreplaceable.  Every story is just one part of a bigger story.  A bigger plan.  A plan “to seek and save what was lost” Luke 19:10

Since starting a blog, I have had several conversations lately with people who have said basically the same thing, “I have thought about starting a blog but…”.  One friend’s “but” was about not having time.  Another was about not even knowing where to begin.  Another was, and I quote, “there are already so many people out there, do I really need to add my voice?”  My answer to her was a resounding, “Yes!”.  That’s just the thing, there are so many voices, so many opinions but what people need to hear is truth.

Just a few short weeks ago, I converted my website into something a little more “professional” (if it still seems amateur, that’s ok, I’m not offended – I’ll be the first to admit that I still kinda don’t know what I’m doing).  I had a plan with posts in queue and a strategy to launch videos and send out this wave of media to boost my audience.  Then forty eight hours later – almost to the hour – I got a text that wrecked me.  Tragedy struck our community.

I was devastated.  I was shaken.  I was overwhelmed with sorrow.  I was also unsure how to move forward.  Because you see, I had a plan.  A plan that was no longer an option if I still wanted to honor our friends.

So I stayed silent.  I “86-ed” my plan to roll out a string of light-hearted posts and fun graphics and witty videos – and I waited.  I’ve talked about waiting.  I don’t usually do it well.  But this time, I couldn’t bring myself to move on.  I wanted to leave time for honor and mourning and reverence.

Then, after a full day of black dresses and neon accessories, half smiles and tears only God could count.  After standing in remembrance of a soul gone from here so soon – after standing in worship of a God who is good no matter what – I found myself sitting at a birthday dinner surrounded by an army (and by army, I mean three fierce girlfriends who could take on any force big or small).

As I shared with them my fear and my heart about moving forward with the blog, one of these “fierce ones” looked across the table at me and said, “Even if there is just one person out there who needs to hear what you have to say, you have to say it.”

Starting a blog was, from the beginning, always only ever about one thing.  Sharing the love of Jesus.  About stepping out of the boat and into a life of purpose.

So,  whether or not starting a blog is your thing – yours could be teaching, it could be singing, it could be encouraging the gal in the cubicle next to yours – whatever avenue the Lord wants to use you to reach people, do that.

However you have been called to share, I want to encourage you with the same words my friend said to me, “Even if there is just one person out there who needs to hear what you have to say, you have to say it.”