Risk

I've been thinking a lot about RISK recently. I have been asking myself the question, "Do I take risks or do I play it safe?" I am working through the Tangible Kingdom Primer (with an amazing group of people - shout out!) and the Scripture meditation for this week was about Abraham. When God called Abraham to leave his home and go to a new place in order to be a blessing to others, Abraham had the choice to go or to stay. Going would involve sacrifice, risk, adventure, fear, faith... Staying would involve safety, comfort, stability, security, control. As I was reading through those two lists, I realized that I tend to "camp out" in the second list more than the first. Sure, there is something inside me that craves adventure and sacrifice. But the reality is, in many of my day-to-day life decisions, I choose safety over risk, comfort over adventure, control over faith. The problem with this is that I WANT to be a risk-taker. Even though it's scary, I think it's also worthwhile (and fun!)

I went bungee jumping in 2007. I was in South Africa and we drove over a bridge that said "Guinness Book of World Records - World's Tallest Bungee Jump." My friends and I looked at each other and said, "How can we pass this up?" Twenty minutes later, we were strapped up in harnesses and standing in the middle of a bridge. Since that day, folks have asked me how I was able to literally jump off a bridge and I usually say, "Well, it's easy. There's a 'Common Sense' switch in my brain. You know, the part of your brain that tells you that jumping off bridges is a bad idea. I just turned off that switch!" The funny thing is, I think there's some truth to that statement.

I believe that risk-taking is an act of the will. Like bungee jumping - I can make up my mind in advance and my emotions can be on board, but when my toes are at the edge of the bridge, I don't think or feel, I just JUMP. So it is with any risk-taking opportunity. In the moment, my mind will rationalize more safe and secure paths and my emotions will cling to comfort. In the moment of risk, my will must override my mind and my emotions.

So today I decided I wanted to introduce myself to some of my neighbors by offering to rake leaves for them. That may not sound like a very big risk, but I can tell you my mind put up a fight ("You have other things you need to get done today." "What if they think you're weird?" "What if when they answer the door, your mind goes blank and you can't think of anything to say?") and my emotions put up a fight ("This is uncomfortable and scary!") So, I fought back. I let my decision of the will override my thoughts and emotions. Just like the day I went bungee jumping, I turned of the switch in my head and I harnessed my emotions. And I grabbed a rake and rang a doorbell.