I have a friend who constantly marvels at my ability to come up with “excuses” for things. I call them “reasons,” but we won’t quarrel over terminology at the moment. The truth is, I can be very skilled at coming up with many reasons for many actions when the need arises. Sometimes the reasons are legitimate, and sometimes, they are just plain old excuses.

For instance, I completed all of the pages in my most recent journal over the weekend. I have another journal sitting next to me on the sofa, waiting for the first words to mark its pages. It’s been sitting in the same place for three days with no words.

My reason? I am undecided on the pens I should use. You see, I use 2 colors for each of my journals; one is for my thoughts, and the other is for what I feel God is speaking to me. With each new journal I choose which colors I will use for that volume, and I can’t decide this time.

I will freely admit this is an excuse. There are things I should be writing about and talking to God about. (Yes, I can pray for things without writing them down, but to really talk with Him beyond just asking Him to move in situations, I have to get the words out of my head audibly or in writing.) And so, I delay choosing the colors of ink I will stare at as I write for the next number of months, and I can put off for a little longer dealing with things I don’t want to face.

That is a mild example of an excuse. Here are some others:

I can’t wash dishes right now because there isn’t enough hot water.                

I’ll eat this junk food because it’s handy and I don’t have the time or energy to shop or cook today.

I can’t invite a friend for tea because my flat is a mess and I’ll not have a chance to clean it first.

I can’t say (fill in the blank) to someone because maybe they have too much on their mind already. I don’t want to add stress; what if I’m wrong? What if they think I’m crazy or get upset?

I don’t want to reach out and continue building friendships because I might have to leave soon.

I won’t agree to sing at this event, because surely people must be tired of hearing me sing the same songs by now.

I don’t want to hope and fight for God’s promises because I’ve been disappointed before.

Do any of these sound familiar? Or am I the only one with a talent for making excuses? Maybe your excuses sound very different from mine, but I’d imagine we can all find a few “reasons” we avoid the things we just don’t want (or are afraid) to do.

What are you avoiding today? Maybe it’s time to just grab a pen and start writing; I’m pretty sure there are worse fates than staring at black ink for a few months. When I really think about it, missing out on what God wants to speak or on the relationships that could be built or the cups of tea that could be shared is a lot scarier than choosing the “wrong” pen or having to say “see you later” to friends or having someone see a messy room. It’s amazing the freedom that comes when we toss out the excuses and get on with life.