I love to talk about who should be doing what. Who should be filling a need, trying something new, or doing it differently.

They should be planning for this. They should be doing it like this. That’s not going to work; they need to do it like that.

They.

Them.

Anyone but me.

I’m not the one for the job. I don’t have the skills, the time, or the ambition. But someone should do it.

I’ve been reflecting on this lately. Wondering what to do with these thoughts. Then I realized I was waiting on the wrong person.

Is it possible the person I’m waiting on could be me?

Counting on others

We all do this. You see a need for a product, so you say someone should make it. You think of a ministry idea, so you say the church should do that.

My pastor tells a story of a church attender driving home after service one day. She was struck with the idea for a new ministry idea at the church. She said what we all say,

“They should do this.”

Then it hit her.

“We are they.”

We. Are. They.

A powerful idea. She realized there was no one else. If she didn’t create this new ministry, no one else would.

She learned a powerful lesson:

When it comes to doing what you believe needs to be done, you need to stop counting on others.

Stop waiting

Why is that? Waiting on help from others is not bad by itself. In fact, it’s necessary.

But waiting on someone else to live your dream, do what you were made to do—this is crazy.

Have you ever thought God gave you ideas and dreams so you would make them happen?

I was in the self-checkout aisle of the grocery store when this all came together. (By the way, what’s up with “please remove all items from the scanner and try again?” So annoying.)

I had finished scanning my items so I swiped my card. Usually it asks for my PIN number, but this time it was displaying “Please wait for cashier.” OK, I thought. They just need to push a button and I’ll be on my way.

So I glanced over at the clerk watching over the machines with a “Hey, how ya doin’?” look. Eyebrows slightly raised, rocking forward on my toes. Classic waiting on someone moves.

Finally, I realized they weren’t coming. I looked back at the machine. “Please wait for cashier.”

Wait a minute. I’m in the “self”-checkout lane. I AM THE CASHIER!

After I kicked myself and smirked at the irony, I realized I simply needed to push the payment method key.

I was they.

Why it matters

The checkout lane is no different from life. We get so used to other people “checking us out” we don’t know what to do when we’re on our own in the self-checkout lane. All we can think of is to absolve ourselves of any responsibility.

But we’re more than that.

We are each given burning passions, great dreams, and big ideas. It’s time we started acting on them.

No more excuses. No more waiting on someone else.

They’re not the right person for the job. You are.

Who are you waiting for? Where do you need to realize you are they?

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