Dear Father, I pondered several passages in Scripture where miracles occurred, great manifestations, purpose actualization, or prophecy fulfillment. One trait common to them all was movement. Noah began building an ark though he had never seen rain. Abraham left his homeland not knowing where he was going. The widow of Zarephath gave her last meal before seeing the provision that would sustain her. Esther approached the king without being summoned. The rule was obvious: the act preceded the victory. This is probably the most difficult way to live, perhaps because it is one that requires movement only after we've learned to ignore the embarrassment failure may bring. This is an aspect of failure that often goes unnoticed--that many journeys never begin, partly because the way is uncertain, but mostly because pride fears the shame of trying and failing. Maybe we should encourage a system where people are celebrated for embarking on reasonable projects regardless of the outcome. Or one where we celebrate ourselves for the courage to try, regardless of the outcome. Maybe there is a need to state plainly that the failures we all resent are often what precede the successes we all celebrate. After hearing of great inventors who tried repeatedly before finally succeeding, I cringe at my own resistance to even try once. Movement almost always precedes a miracle, and perhaps the fear to move is, in many ways, the guarantee of never arriving. Translations; Slide 1: English Slide 2: French Slide 3: Bengali Slide 4: Hindu Slide 5: Urdu #LettertoGod #successes #failure