Bertha Benz was losing patience with her husband Karl.
He had built his first horseless carriage in December 1885, but, although all their money was tied up in the car, Karl refused to offer it for sale. Instead, he tinkered with various components trying to improve his design. By August of 1888, Bertha decided that she had waited long enough.
Without telling Karl, she and her two sons went out to the garage, started the car, and proceeded to drive it from their home in Mannheim, Germany, to her parent’s house in Pforzheim, 106 kilometres away. This marked the first time that any car had gone more than a few miles from home and Bertha made sure that everyone heard about what she had done.
The successful journey was reported in major newspapers all over Europe and orders for cars came pouring in. Today, Mercedes-Benz is one of the most recognized and well-respected car companies in the world.
Starting is often the hardest part.
Many people have good intentions, but they never get around to doing anything. Many know what they ought to do, but they do not follow through. Most of us have habits that we should break, but change is difficult.
However, as author David Viscott observed, “If you could get up the courage to begin, you would have the courage to succeed.” Too often we hold ourselves back because we imagine all the obstacles that could be in the future. We dream about everything that could go wrong, instead of believing that it will work out.
Bertha Benz took a risk and changed the world.
Maybe it is time for you to make a start as well.
“Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it — not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it — they will be blessed in what they do” (James 1:22-25).
