The Forward Progress Blessing

I bless you today to

Enjoy

And Embrace

Your “Forward Progress”—

Like Joshua, taking the promised land,

Step by step. (Josh. 1:3)

Football fans see it.

The runner takes the hand off

From the quarterback and struggles

Forward… gains a couple of yards.

But he’s hit hard by

The defensive tackle,

And then the linebacker joins in,

And another lineman

And then the cornerback—

A mob of defenders all pushing

The runner back.

Back… back … back…

Ten yards backwards

Til …

Whumpf!

The runner is flat on his back,

Sore, looking defeated and

Appearing to have lost a lot of ground.

But, after the play, the referee

Retrieves the ball and places it on the ground

At the point of the runner’s furthest advance—

To the spot of his “forward progress.”

No matter how hard or long you get hit,

You always get your forward progress!

Not just in football,

But also in Promised Land living.

Feel like you’ve taken some steps forward

In your spiritual life

But been hit hard by disappointments or persecution?

Take heart, you come further than you think!

Beloved, in the spiritual life, you always start

From the point of your forward progress.