The Next Faithful Step: When You Can’t See the Whole Path | Forward Path Ep 36

In today's episode, we are talking about what to do when you can't see the whole path. I'll share a personal story, something C.S. Lewis wrote that stopped me in my tracks. I'll share the story of the Forward Path logo and the difference between perfectionism and just taking the next faithful step. My hope is that you leave knowing God often gives the next step instead of the full map. And that every one of those steps is part of becoming who He designed you to be. Hey friend, welcome to Forward Path with Melissa: Life and Marriage God's Way. I'm Melissa, small-town Iowa girl, wife to my best friend since 2007, mom of 2, mental health therapist since 2009, and founder of Forward Path. I'm forever grateful that God took a shy, insecure kid and showed her who she really is in Him, giving her just enough humble confidence to stand for What's true, because that changed everything. Forward Path and this podcast is the stirring God wouldn't let go of in my heart, because the world can feel heavy and dark, and we're called to be different, to shine his light, especially in our homes and marriages. So every week we're gonna open scripture, pull from real-life counseling experience, coaching knowledge, and talk honestly about the messy and the beautiful. How to disagree well, love deeply, heal, parent with purpose, and keep walking forward with Jesus. Because your growth isn't just about you. It's about glorifying the One who designed it all. So grab your coffee. Let's walk forward together. This is episode 36, The Next Faithful Step: When You Can't See the Whole Path. Friend, have you ever found yourself asking, God, how much further? How long is this hard season going to last? When are you going to answer this prayer? When will I finally know what my purpose is? Am I even on the right path? We want the full map. I know I'd like one. We want to know the whole route before we say yes and start the journey. But God, more often than not, Just gives us the next step. I remember 15 years ago, my husband and I went backpacking in Yellowstone. It was my first backpacking trip, and we were going to go hiking for, I think, 4 days and 3 nights. And we knew how far it was in between each of our campsites, but we didn't know exactly how far it was to our first one. So we started out with our heavy packs on, Full of food, clothes, tent, gear, and everything we were going to need. So obviously the first day was going to be the heaviest because we were going to have the full food supply. And after we've been walking for a while, I got tired and we needed to stop. And then I started crying. My poor husband. He looked at me and I'm sure he was thinking, what have I gotten us into? But honestly, I wasn't crying because I couldn't walk another mile. I was crying because I didn't know how many miles were left. I didn't know how to prepare myself. The unknown just felt so big and overwhelming. And my sweet husband pulled some things out of my pack to lighten my load and got myself together, and then we kept going. And as it turned out, the campsite was only about one more mile away. But I didn't know that. And I think that experience is a good example of how we often walk with God at times. We often fall apart, not because we can't take the next step, but because we don't know how much further. The unknown feels huge and daunting. And I've sat with so many people in counseling and coaching who were right there too. I remember a couple who were in a really hard season of their marriage, and the wife kept saying, I just need to know if this is ever going to get better. She just wanted some kind of assurance of their future so she could decide if the next step was even worth it. I had another client who came unsure of their next steps. Her and her husband were trying to decide whether to stay in the area or move for a job opportunity. And she kept saying, I just wish God would tell us which direction. and which decision to make. She was terrified of choosing wrong, and that fear had her frozen and then unsure how to discuss the next steps with her husband. And I get it. I've had many seasons like that. It's usually during transition seasons, times when I'd really like to know and have the whole plan laid out before me, or a neon sign pointing me in the next step. But often God wants our obedience, our willingness to abide. I'm currently reading John Maxwell's The 15 Invaluable Laws of Growth, and there was one little line that jumped out at me: there is more than one way to succeed. That wasn't even the point of his chapter. It was just one small part, but it struck me. We don't have to get it all right or know all of the next steps. I think we can fall into the trap of believing there's one perfect career, calling, decision— one perfect path. And we treat life like there's a single right answer, and if we miss it, somehow we failed. But God isn't making identical lives. He's forming faithful people. Romans 8:28 says, And we know that all things work together for good To those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. That means God can use our missteps and even our pain for our good and His glory. I don't know about you, but that takes the pressure off me. It's remembering that God is bigger than me, bigger than us. I'm also currently reading C.S. Lewis's sci-fi trilogy, And there's a line in Perelandra that reinforces this idea for me, and again stopped me. I thought we went along paths, but it seems there are no paths. The going itself is the path. God does guide us. We just discover the path by walking with him. I believe the Forward Path logo represents this process too. You first see the path, and it reminds me of Isaiah 30:21: Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you saying, This is the way; walk in it. God doesn't leave us to wander. He speaks, guides, and directs us through His Word. But the verse doesn't stop at this is the way. It continues with walk in it. Walk in it. Growth requires movement. The path usually gets clear as we walk, not before it. And then in the logo, there's the trees. James 1 and Romans 5 talk about hard seasons produce perseverance, character, and hope. The wilderness doesn't mean we've left the path. Sometimes it's the very place God grows us. And I've watched so many people and couples walk through some really hard wilderness seasons. Maybe it's infertility, money stress, tragic loss, emotional distance, and they come out so much stronger than when they started. The hard season didn't mean they were off track. God was able to use those seasons in beautiful ways that a season of comfort and ease Never could have. Which then leads us to the mountains on the logo. Psalms 121:1-2, I lift up my eyes to the mountains. Where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. Those mountains in the logo remind me that our strength doesn't come from us. We don't make it because we're tough enough, even if I try that at times. We keep going because God is faithful. Perfectionism asks, how do I make sure I don't choose wrong? Faith asks, will I trust God with the next step? The goal isn't perfect certainty. It's faithful obedience. God almost never gives the guarantee. He gives the invitation to take the next step In trust. And here's something important I've learned: even if you're still healing, even if the wound isn't fully closed, God is still inviting you forward. Because again, healing isn't the finish line. You don't have to wait until you feel completely ready or completely whole before you take the next step he's asking of you. Your brain will try to keep you stuck in the what-ifs, That's where the reticular activating system, that filter in your brain, the one I love so much, comes in. When you focus on all the possible ways the path could go wrong, your mind starts scanning for evidence of danger and uncertainty. But when you deliberately focus on the next faithful step and on who God is, your brain begins to notice His faithfulness and the small evidences of progress along the way. So many of us ask, what's my purpose? But maybe a better question is, what is God inviting me to do in this next step? Purpose isn't only a career or a title or some big accomplishment. It's becoming more like Jesus. It's loving God and the people around us. Walking faithfully and being open to letting Him shape us, even in the seasons where we can't see around that corner. And every faithful step is part of becoming the person God designed you to be, even the missteps, because He can use those too. You take those steps from the identity He's already given you, not from a place of trying to earn it. Or finally feel ready. At the end of every episode, I say, thank you for walking this stretch of the path with me, because we're not meant to walk alone, and we often don't have the full map, but we're invited to walk with God and to walk with each other in this process. You may not know how many miles are left, and you can't see what's around the bend, but God does. And he's guiding your path and growing you in the wilderness. He is your strength on the mountains if you trust him and keep taking the next faithful step. So this week, I challenge you: think of one area where you've been waiting for the full map. Maybe a decision in your marriage, something with your kids, a purpose question, or a hard season that feels like it's dragging on. And then ask the Lord, without demanding the whole plan, what's the next faithful step you're inviting me to take? Then take that one step, even if you still can't see very far. At the end of the week, write down what you noticed. Where did fear show up? Where did trust grow, even just a little? Let me pray for you. Father, thank You that You guide us even when we can't see the whole way. Forgive us for the times we've frozen or demanded the full map before we would move. Soften the perfectionism in us. Help us to trust You with the next step. Grow us in the hard seasons. Be our strength when the path feels steep. And remind every person listening that each faithful step is part of becoming who You designed them to be. Give them courage to walk even when they can't see around the bend. In Jesus' name, amen. That's all for today, friend. Thank you for walking this stretch of the path with me. And if today's episode encouraged you, would you do 2 quick things? Hit subscribe or follow so you never miss an episode and share it with one friend who might need this. And if you want to go deeper this week, subscribe to my free weekly email. You'll get a quick breakdown of each podcast episode, key scriptures, and simple action steps for your faith and marriage. It's just like having a personal coach in your inbox. You can find it at melissagendreau.com/forward-path-weekly. And if you'd like a simple everyday reminder to keep walking your forward path, I created a little shop with clothes and accessories that do just that. You can check it out at forwardpath.shop. Until next time, keep shining, keep growing, and keep moving forward God's way. See you soon. God bless.