I have always played it safe.
I like knowing my options and what kind of percentage I have for something to go right or wrong. When I am in a group of people I hardly begin a conversation. And when a question is asked and I know the answer I always hesitate. Then someone will chime in with the correct answer and I beat myself up for not taking the risk on answering out loud. I tend to think everything through before I speak.
No one wants to look foolish or be embarrassed. But why is that so bad? If you are embarrassed the only thing that will be hurt is probably your pride…you won’t die on the spot.
I still have a great memory of my now nine year old son, “Christian.” We went to White Sands National Monument. The sand dunes are pretty amazing. People take sleds and go down the dunes. It is great fun. When my Christian was about two years old we went for the first time. We were having a fantastic time and he would go down the dunes with either myself or my husband. It took only a moment and when our heads were turned he was up at the top of the sand dune dragging his sled. It seemed like he was atop Mt. Everest!
I was mortified. There was no way either my husband or I could get to him and before we knew it he set his sled down and pushed off! He was laughing the entire way, red faced, full of sand. When he came to the bottom of the dune I looked at him and thought “This boy is my risk taker.” It paid off for him with the ride of a lifetime for a 2 year old.
As I have gotten older I have learned some hard lessons. I do not want to have regrets. And in order to not have regrets, sometimes you have to take risks.
- I take risks when I write my blogs…not everyone agrees with my opinions and that is okay.
- I take risks every time I speak in public…I try to always be politically correct and true to my interpretation of scripture.
- Every time I perform (my oboe) in public I take a huge risk…you never know how your reed is going to behave!
I have crashed and burned on all of the examples above at one time or another but I did something that is going to allow me to cross off an item on my “bucket list.” I can’t share right now, but if it turns out to be as amazing as I imagine, I don’t know if I will ever be the same…and that is a good thing.
One of these days a risk will pay off in a way you never dreamed possible.
When is the last time you took a risk?
Today I Am Thankful For:
- essential oils (and my friend “M”)
- my Sunday School class
- Vacation Bible School
- a new vacuum
- the best news ever
