Lord, remember the time I was picking crabapples for jelly, and there was this squirrel right above me in the tree? The branch had bent under the squirrel’s weight, and the squirrel was hanging upside down to reach the crabapples at the tip of the branch. I heard you say, “Don’t be afraid to go out on a limb – that’s where the fruit is.”

And Lord, remember how, when I was struggling to discern your will, not sure which way to go, you sent a friend to tell me, “Put your hand on the knob. If it’s a door God wants you to go through, it will open. But you have to put your hand on the knob first.”

Holy One, give me courage to go out on a limb for you. Give me strength to put my hand on the doorknob, knowing you are the One who opens doors. Give me grace to move forward into your will, as your own beloved child. Amen.