When I take my nature walks to maintain good heart health, I always go the extra mile. The recommended 30 minute walk gets me about 1.25 miles, but the additional 30 minutes or so make me feel accomplished.
A goal is a target. Once you reach it, you have the opportunity to stop or keep going. When you stop, it means, “that’s enough”. But when you keep going, it means, “you’re up for a challenge.” What if God said, “that’s enough”, when we asked for his grace and forgiveness?
Imagine what life would be like if everyone only did the bare minimum. When the major Hurricane Katrina and Rita (2005) destroyed much of New Orleans, people went the extra mile. I can remember when we had arrived to Dallas, Texas, a total stranger walked up and handed me $40 and another took my family in his own home, while helping us find a place to stay. We were also offered to live rent-free for one full year in Oklahoma, but we declined the offer to stay close to family.
Prior to moving to Dallas, we were initially displaced to Natchez, Mississippi where we were housed and fed by my husband’s family members we had never met. We stayed there for about a week. They treated us good and didn’t want us to leave because they enjoyed our company so much. But we needed to locate our other family members.
There were many people around the world who had come to our aid – too many stories to share. But amidst all the goodness that was happening around the world, of course, many people weren’t so lucky. In fact, it was the worst time of their lives. I’m thankful that God found favor in my family because our aftermath could have been much worse. We were truly blessed. However, you couldn’t pay me to relive that moment.
Then there was the Great Flood in Baton Rouge, Louisiana in August of 2018 up until the destructive wildfires in Los Angeles, California and the dangerous tornadoes in North Texas this year. So many events happened within this timeline, such as the horrific global pandemic (2020), the unprecedented flooding in New York (2021), the deadly wildfires in Maui, Hawaii and so on – all of which people weren’t prepared for. Nevertheless, people stepped up and went the extra mile, which is the result of thoughts and prayers put into action.
Wanna make a bigger impact? Don’t wait until another natural disaster hits or some other devastating event that makes the news to go the extra mile. It’s the little things that make the biggest impression. Wash your elderly neighbor’s car or simply pull her trash cans to the curb. Offer to buy your co-worker some lunch if he can’t seem to pull away from work. If your friend is out of work, send a love donation or care package just because. If a friend is asking for donations of at least $25, why not do $30? An extra $5 won’t break the bank for what it’s worth today.
In order to gain God’s favor, you must have faith. To maintain your faith, you must filter out all the negative things you hear and focus on his word. Obedience is a blessing, not a burden. 2 Corinthians 9:6 says, “Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.” Don’t let one bad experience stop you from going the extra mile because you never know when you may benefit from someone else’s obedience.
“When life catches you off guard, you can always call on the Lord!“
-Bianca A. McCormick-Johnson ✍🏽
