there have been very few challenges in my life i haven’t met or exceeded.
mostly driven by (ahem: unhealthy) levels of competition, i find a goal that’s just a little bit out of my range, but not completely unimaginable.
let’s try to some articles published. check.
let’s try to get a book published.? yup.
let’s design some cool print pieces that win awards. check.
get out of credit card debt. sionara.
raise 50 malaria nets? why not? let’s make it over 100.
this 50,000 shoes in 50 days challenge is scaring the bejeebers out of me. it’s half over and still over 40,000 shoes to go.? i rarely get jealous or frustrated, but many times i have been wishing i was a really, really, really high traffic blog.? maybe that would help…
some of my thoughts have included:
- why can’t i have the traffic of pioneer woman? seth godin? michael hyatt? dooce?
- if only all the mom bloggers and the influential marketplace masterminds would catch on and blog about this cause (amongst the other 90 amazing causes a day they probably get pinged with) my job would be easy!
- why have over 3000 people supported the cause through blogs and facebook, but only 1200 unique donors have given?? why haven’t the other 1800 given?
- how come a blog that has people fighting about a pastor can get FIFTY TIMES MORE TRAFFIC in ONE DAY than any of the 50,000 shoes posts?
but after some reflection, i noticed the goal i am obsessing about is raising 50,000 shoes. i was caring all about the numbers.
i haven’t been taking my own advice.
lesson learned? i am needing to back off, pray and search my heart, and realize the grander scheme in this.
yes, i’m honestly scared we may not reach this huge goal we have set. i’m scared of the consequences. of losing my reputation as the girl who can always rally people together to deliver mind-blowing results.
but i can’t think about that too much.
it’s all about the heart. and i need to refocus, and dwell on the heart.
whose heart?
mine.? yours.? and 50,000 people in need whose will be changed when they get their first pair of shoes.
deep breath, anne jackson. deep breath.
Comments
31 responses to “is failing an option?”
I think that “success” isn’t always completion of the task as planned. I think real success is obedience, stepping out in faith. We tend to focus on the end result, but I really think God cares more about who we are becoming in the process than what we do or produce.
Awesome, Darcie. I agree. I tend to focus on the process myself. Most times when we stop and focus on the one who put the desire in us, the end result is greater than we ever could have imagined.
Yeah okay…so here’s the thing. I have been following and thinking about this shoe pursue and I love it. I love that you are on this mission and I am so impressed. I, myself have not given. We (my groom and I) already give shoes and food and whatever else to kids and people who are without. I have been pulled and emotional even about wanting to give towards this campaign and even wondered if I should donate…but then every time I do I come back to how God has led my husband and I “surrender and obey”. We are not led to give to this challenge. We are already giving shoes (personally, like actual shoes and then we give money towards them as well through donations through an organization which then buys them)…so all that to say is that is a glimpse into why I am not giving towards this situation. Not that you needed all of the background…but maybe you did. I dunno. I think that for you maybe it also comes down to surrender and obedience. If you are doing those two things…then the rest will fall into place. Maybe you will succeed in this 50,000 maybe not…but you can’t make people give. Maybe that isn’t their journey. Like it isn’t mine in this particular part of the race. I love you Mrs. Jackson and I am praying for you to have a settled spirit on this one.
Maybe you won’t make the 50,000 pair of shoes goal.
But TEN THOUSAND shoes is a lot of shoes! Ten THOUSAND people with new shoes on their feet. To me that’s amazing. :-) You’ve already accomplished a wonderful thing. I never would have known about this organization if not for your blog.
I think one thing you have to remember is that most of us are Church folk. You are reaching a segment of the population who already gives, and mostly gives through their own Churches.
It’s just a thought, but if you can reach a more secular segment of the population you might do a little better. And I’d not even know where to begin to do that. A radio station in your area? A press release to news papers? I’m an IT person, marketing is magix to me.
Still you should rejoice in your success – even if not one more pair of shoes is given (And I am praying hard that there will be) many pairs of shoes /were/ given that would not have been had you not blogged about it.
i have a theory. it’s that the online generation thinks social network equals activism. yet, i think they’re really stingy with their time and money. they talk a big talk, but they rarely do the hard work to make stuff happen. the geezers don’t talk about causes at their conferences or on their blogs or on facebook, but they’re the ones that get stuff done. i’m waiting for the online generation to prove me wrong.
tony
I hear ya Anne. The 2nd greatest day in my life, after meeting Jesus for the first time, was finally (and it took a long time) realizing that while I said I’d given him my whole life, I was still holding on to my reputation. I was deathly afraid that he’d embarrass me or ask me to do something that would make me look foolish and that meant I didn’t really believe that he truly loved me. I rationalized like crazy since I raise support to provide for my family and the continuation of support is based on my reputation with donors and…slowly it began to get through. Who raises the support? Who provides for my family? Who bears fruit in and through me? Do I really think his love is no better than mine? He loves me completely and proved it once and for all on the cross. Nothing I do changes it one iota and so I let go of my rep. Even my church work or ministry must be measured against the gospel of grace. Granted, I still pick my rep back up from time to time but the realization and re-release happens much faster each time. In the past 5 years he’s thrown open more doors to love people than I’d ever planned, strategized or mapped out in the previous 15 years of “service.” Tribes are forming and service is being done and culture is being impacted but very few people even know I’m involved which is pretty cool.
This was Rich Mullins’ favorite song and has become one of mine too.
It was said this man was of no reputation
Yet He could stop the rising storm
With a gesture of His hand
But He chose to use His hands to heal
Hearts of darkness, hearts of stone
Just like mine would be revealed
He was a man of no reputation
And by the wise, considered a fool
When He spoke about faith and forgiveness
In a time when the strongest arms ruled
But this man of no reputation
Loved the weak with relentless affection
And He loved all those poor in spirit just as they were
He was a man of no reputation
It was said this man brought only confusion
That He’d achieve his ends by any means
And the truth that it brings revolution
And for once they were right
The truth set us free
The hearts of the captive were his only concern
And the powerful knew their days were ending
He was a man of no reputation
And by the wise, considered a fool
When He spoke about faith and forgiveness
In a time when the strongest arms ruled
But this man of no reputation
Loved the weak with relentless affection
And He loved all those poor in spirit just as they were
He was a man of no reputation
One day soon the gates of heaven will open wide
And the Prince of Peace will come back for His bride
But for now we live on these streets
Forbidding and tough
Where push always comes to shove
And it’s said love’s never enough
Where a prophet in rags gives hope to a fearful world
No injustice, no heart of darkness
Will keep this voice from being heard
He was a man of no reputation
And by the wise, considered a fool
When He spoke about faith and forgiveness
In a time when the strongest arms ruled
But this man of no reputation
Loves us all with relentless affection
And He loves all those poor in spirit, come as you are
To the man of no reputation
Copyright 1998 – Rick Elias
Anne,
I have a couple of “mom blogger” friends that I will have a chat with. The truth is that already so many of them are doing their own “thing” (ahem, TONY…they are of “this generation”…and getting some serious stuff done) and have had a laser focus on their projects for a few months now.
I have been amazed at what you have accomplished with your influence on your blog. I think you are one of “this generation” also…gettin some stuff done. Thanks for doing what you said you would and sticking to it.
PS
I love Tony…and i love his wifes pancakes.
miss them…tony and emily
not just the pancakes.
:)
So each donation gives 2 pairs so that is 20,000 pairs not 10,000…seriously Anne. That is huge. I am not saying that like you should give up on your desire…I am just remarking on how huge that is.
Failure is an option and sometimes failure is vital. Failure refocuses our thoughts. Failure redirects our energy. It reshuffles our priorities. If forces us to realize that “I can’t do this.” I love to fail and then watch God gracefully pick up the pieces and blow my mind by his unexpected and immeasurable provision.
humbling, isn’t it, when we realize the true foundation of our motives is not as pretty as we thought.
think of it this way: the kids who will get the shoes (i suspect) will have no idea whether the goal was achieved. they will only know that a bunch of folks gave them some new shoes.
they won’t see the thousands not given, they will be amazed by the thousands that were given. :)
Anne: I’ll have you know that one of the people who donated off of my site is not a Christian. She felt that she should donate to this cause because between her and her 3 year old daughter they probably have enough shoes to not wear the same pair twice in 3 months. She gave. Others have given that had never heard of S4S before. Plus — did I read right that 10,000 pairs of shoes have almost already been given? TEN THOUSAND? Change your focus. If you don’t meet 50,000 so the heck what. You have been such an inspiration with your heart for the needy to me. I’m just one. But I’m ONE. It’s hard not to compete (I’m very very very competitive too) when it’s your nature. But if you think you aren’t making a difference then you need to e-mail me and I’ll privately tell you how much of a difference you’ve made in my life and I’ll give you the numbers you might need to hear — the ones with $$$$$ in front of them.
Hugs to you!! Keep up the great (awesome) work!!
We can trust God for 50,000 shoes and if that doesn’t happen, we don’t have to defend Him. He can defend Himself. Sometimes when we pray for something and it doesn’t happen, we try to sweep it under a rug and pretend it never happened. God could be up to something else. This, however, does not give us an excuse for inaction. Way to dream big and go for it!
I love your heart on this, and I love that you’ve been able to use your influence with this blog to inspire people to give. I think part of what you’re running up against right now is that during this particular time of year, people are asked to donate to a lot of different and worthy causes. It becomes a choice of giving a small amount to lots of different organizations, or choosing one (or a few) causes to support more substantially. The current recession is probably a factor as well.
Instead of looking at it as being 42,000 pairs of shoes short of the goal (which you may still meet), look at it this way. You have helped get 8000 pairs of shoes donated for people who have never owned a pair of shoes before. 8000! How many people could say that they have that kind of influence, and that they have used it to benefit others in the way you have? Yay for you and yay God!
Is failing an option? No. It’s a necessity.
I’m glad that you’re reaching the tipping point of what’s possible by human hands versus what’s possible by the hand of God. We all have limitations and some of us are truly able to accomplish a lot by our own means. But, the truth of it is that if we aren’t reaching out for things that are impossible without divine help…we’re not really risking anything.
Oh…and I do guest posts on http://www.thepioneerwoman.com/cooking filed under “Pastor Ryan” – Each time I post something on there it tosses about 10,000 hits my way. It’s in those times that I realize “Influence is currency” and I have to figure out how I’ll spend it. Still, no matter how I try to point people towards justice issues and Kingdom ideas, it’s still not going to work if I’m not calling on Jesus to move in a powerful way.
I donated and I posted about it on my blog.
just a thought. if you’ve never really failed … maybe you’re not dreaming big enough. ??
funny thing about blog traffic…i think it’s like money and fame…you can never have enough.
i say this from experience, because on most days i wish my blog had as much traffic as FlowerDust. Meanwhile you wish you had as much traffic as Michael Hyatt. For all we know, he could be wishing he had as many readers as Guy Kawasaki. And Guy might look at a blog like Engadget and wish he was there.
We all need to be careful not to put too much of our hope in these things. We can do our best with what we have, we can plan and be disciplined and work hard to be better, and at the end of the day that’s all we can do. (i guess you can throw prayer in there too).
Anne, be thankful for the readership you have. There’s a lot of folks out there who would give a pinky toe for your numbers. And don’t worry about your reputation, because you really can’t control that.
all that said, thanks for being so transparent! and keep at it!
I love reading your blog from time to time, it really makes me think. Keep up the good work up there :)
i didn’t read all the comments – so sorry if this is repetitive.
but, just to encourage you that EACH ONE of those number counts:
i donated 2 pairs for each of the 6 ladies i run with. 5 of them aren’t believers. it is a way for me to show them Christ’s love – loving the least of these. they are one of the MAIN reasons God placed me in my neighborhood. and i’m so thankful for this opportunity to use as i pray for them to know Him. thank you.
i think 50,000 is possible.
but God cares about the people, not the numbers (and i know you KNOW that…;-))
5 members of my family, 10 pairs donated….been meaning to do it since you started blogging about this, after reading this post, it reminded me again….will post on my blog and send out emails and Facebook etc…to promote to friends.
Hi Anne,
A similar problem has been rectified (the start of the process anyway) in my own life in relation to the size of my church. God’s been working on me about it for some time. In Gordon MacDonald’s book Ordering Your Private World he talks about the difference between DRIVEN and CALLED people. I read this about driven people:
“…the growth of people is often sacrificed for accomplishments and accumulation.”
I was so focused on a certain number that I was, while developing people intentionally , actually sacrificing relationships, potential and unity to pursue a goal, an objective.
God challenged me to sit in my calling instead of living out of my drivenness. Changed my life. Thanks for being so honest and real Anne. It’s refreshing.
dooce – hehe.
wonder how much her traffic slowed when she started to give political advise before the election. I mean – i would read her because I wanted to laugh at how her dog ate it’s own crap and how difficult her kid is….when i want to laugh i read her site….never for the political noise & i usually love political noise. maybe i’ll visit her again one day.
Those kids who are walking around with the shoes will be happy.
I visit here because I like to be free from the capital letters….i’m old school. and you talk about causes I like- CI (our little Wilfred), shoes, red-neck neighbors, etc.
Hi Anne,
I’m a new reader here, and I have enjoyed your transparency.
I know for myself, this year, failure was the best thing that ever happened to me. It was big and it was public and I even at one point said to God, “Your reputation is on the line here!” Funny enough, God said very clearly, “This isn’t about My reputation, this is about your heart.” I heart failure. My life has been so much better since I failed.
Also on a side note, as someone in the “online generation”, I’ve noticed that people will talk about causes, but rarely donate online. However, the same people when spoken to in person by someone they personally know, will give. Who am I more likely to give to: the friend bringing shoes to an orphanage in three days(true story) or a link on a web site?
Oh and by the way, 8,284 shoes is not a failure. 0 vision. 0 shoes. That woud be failure.
Ok….after a three month break I have finallly written a new post to show there is life over there….hee hee
“i?m scared of the consequences. of losing my reputation as the girl who can always rally people together to deliver mind-blowing results.”
…it’s moments like this when we realize that it’s not about us, or our “reputation.” it’s got to be about Him. ’cause if it’s not, it’s all in vain anyway. appreciate the transparency…keep seeking Jesus and be encouraged.
Anne, what you’ve done counts. I am doing the GiveWorship Project and had a list a mile long for things I really wanted to provide for these worship leaders and I’m probably going to end up with maybe 5 guitars and some cds. Disappointing. And a bit embarassing. The worship community did NOT buy into it as I had envisioned. I got alot of “nice idea” comments but not much buy in except for some of my family and my own team. HOWEVER, I remind myself that for those five worship leaders that will mean alot. God can use it. I must be thankful for whatever people choose to give and remember that I have been obedient. I still have a dream. Perhaps next year it will grow. Perhaps I’ve raised awareness.
Perhaps you have too.
@Anne — an idea…
Most people are feeling the cash crunch. They’re losing jobs. It’s the holidays and they’re making every dollar count. So rather than ask for $5, 10 or 100, why not post some creative ideas to find the money that people don’t know they have? Where?
* Sell something old and forgotten on craiglist or ebay
* Ask everyone to give up a coffee on one specific day
* Find out if there are any retail owners following your blog and ask if one day they would give a small percentage of their revenues
* find the artists (not only the signed ones), musicians, poets, painters, etc, who would be willing to auction off one of their works of art and give the proceeds
The list could go on and on, but i think you get the point.
I don’t think that people are being stingy. I think they’re not thinking creatively.
My 2?,
Kyle
http://www.kylechowning.com
PS. I was guilty of promoting, but not giving…until tonight. Thanks for the free flip flop keychain.
You said what I needed to hear! I’m a lot the same way…even though I don’t “know” you personally, it sounds just like my brain thinking. If I don’t do it all, I’ll look like a failure. I won’t be the most awesome amazing person to everyone.
Thanks for your honesty as it strikes a chord!
Let go and let God.
John 15:5 – … apart from Me, you can do …. somethings? ah, yes, I remember… nothing.
That is why I am not much of a numbers guy… David got in trouble for taking a census of the Israelites. We make the cause/the number/the goal into a god instead of letting God accomplish His work.
Does that mean we sit back and do nothing? No. We pray as Christ instructed… Our Father, who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name, THY KINGDOM COME, THY WILL BE DONE. It was a formulaic prayer that showed us to pray about joining God’s kingdom work here on earth. He will direct us.
Worry is expressing doubt that God can accomplish His will.
Those of us who have been behind you on this project aren’t seeing how far away from the goal we are… we seeing the amazing things God has already done. 10,000 more people will have shoes on their feet soon. How many more thousands of shoes will be donated to the cause for the very reason that this project made people aware of Soles4Souls (my youth group has already collected dozens of pairs to donate and will continue to do so up through Christmas.)
Don’t watch the numbers watch instead what God IS doing.
This post couldn’t have come at a better time for me. My husband and I were just (again) bemoaning the fact that his mother is so difficult to “buy for” at Christmas, and I saw the “50000 in 50 days” and thought “Gracious! That’s it! We can ‘buy’ her a mountain of shoes that will never clutter her house!” It’s perfect in so many ways. She has always been one to give of herself, and knowing that we’re ‘giving’ to her in a way that’s really giving to ‘the least of these’ will just touch her heart.