“I just don’t know what we need to do with that staircase,” I said to my husband.

“I know what I want to do, but I can’t envision it with the safety rails up there,” he replied.

“Maybe if we take the safety rails off, we can see the next step more clearly.”

Over the next week, the rails came down. As we stared at the stairs this weekend, scheming on the how to build the permanent railings, we could see what the next step might look like.

“Funny how you can’t see past what’s in the way,” my husband laughingly said.

Immediately my mind went back in time to moments when faith was heavily required. Instances when I only had enough light for the next step and the future remained unknown. Job change. Cancer diagnosis. Big yeses. Difficult noes.

Sometimes all we can see and comprehend is the reality right in front of our face. We can’t imagine what our lives will look like if we tear-down, add, or rebuild. Old companions of fear, doubt, and anxiety convince us that we shouldn’t change a thing and so often we stay stuck with the old safety rails instead of stepping out and building a brand-new design.

What’s in your way? What’s obscuring your view? You can’t see past what’s in the way. Take a chance and tear it down; then you will have fresh eyes to see what God is doing in your life.