Excerpt
If it’s to be, it’s up to me — but only when my feet move in faith and God’s timing directs the path. Today, through hymns, impressions, and a memory of Delicate Arch under the Milky Way, I was reminded that blessings unfold when effort meets revelation.
Intro: The Path Is Action + Timing
This morning I woke up peacefully with a single impression:
“If it’s to be, it’s up to me.”
That sentence framed my entire Sabbath. Each hymn, each thought, each scripture, even the Sunday School lesson seemed orchestrated around one doctrine I’ve lived for decades:
Faith is a principle of action — but blessings come in God’s timing.
I’ve worked since I was 12 years old and didn’t enter the IT world until age 37. Nothing was wasted. Every phase prepared me for the next. Today reminded me again: God’s plan is not passive, but it’s not instant either. It is effort + grace. Movement + revelation. Timing + trust.
Notes From Elder Dale G. Renlund
Elder Renlund teaches in Abound with Blessings:
“Most blessings that God desires to give us require action on our part—action based on our faith in Jesus Christ. Faith in the Savior is a principle of action and of power.”
He adds:
“Faith in Christ requires ongoing action for the blaze to continue. Small actions fuel our ability to walk along the covenant path… But oxygen flows only if we figuratively keep moving our feet.”
His examples are profound:
- Make the bow before the revelation comes
- Build the tools before the instructions arrive
- Bake the cake before the miracle of flour appears
Faith requires movement.
But miracles require God’s timing.
Perspective — Elder Christofferson’s Vending Machine Warning
Elder D. Todd Christofferson adds the perfect balance:
“We ought not to think of God’s plan as a cosmic vending machine where we (1) select a desired blessing, (2) insert the required sum of good works, and (3) the order is promptly delivered.”
It does not work that way.
Blessings are not:
- purchased,
- demanded,
- or dispensed on schedule.
As I wrote in last night’s Predicated blog:
“Blessings from heaven are neither earned by frenetically accruing ‘good deed coupons’ nor by helplessly waiting to see if we win the blessing lottery. No.”
True faith is not transactional — it is transformational.
Practice (Today, Not Someday): The Delicate Arch Lesson
My photograph of the Milky Way rising behind Delicate Arch is a visual sermon about faith and action.
The hike is 3 miles round trip, with over 600 feet of elevation climb. During summer, the Milky Way rises behind the arch for only a brief window. If I waited for perfect conditions or perfect timing, I would miss it.
So I climbed early.
Walked in the dark.
Prepared my gear.
Positioned myself.
And waited for heaven to align.
Only then did the Milky Way rise — after I moved my feet.
Some blessings don’t appear until we climb.
Some revelation doesn’t rise until we prepare.
Some miracles don’t unfold until we act in faith.
That hike is my life:
from working at 12,
to breakthroughs at 37,
to every step since.
Effort + timing.
Action + grace.
Faith + patience.
Final Reflection
“If it’s to be, it’s up to me” is not self-reliance without God.
It’s my action combined with His timing.
My discipline combined with His direction.
My relentless faith combined with His perfect plan.
Today reminded me that the Lord isn’t a vending machine dispensing blessings on demand. He’s a Father who blesses according to eternal purpose. Sometimes He asks me to climb in the dark. Sometimes He asks me to wait. But He always keeps His promises.
Pocket I’m Keeping
Move my feet — and trust His timing.
Climb faithfully — and let Him reveal the Milky Way.
What I Hear Now (Direct Quotes)
“Faith in the Savior is a principle of action and of power.” — Elder Renlund
“Blessings require movement — oxygen flows only if you keep your feet moving.”
“God is not a cosmic vending machine.” — Elder Christofferson
“Make the bow before the revelation comes.”
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