S is for...

     is for safe.

I like to consider myself a fairly safe person.  I try to assess the risks before taking a chance, to weigh the pros and cons of each situation.  I don't find myself to be very compulsive but like to think things through carefully before acting.  And for the most part, I feel pretty good about that quality.  Sometimes I think back and realize that I've really grown in this area.  I'm now more willing to take risks and be more adventurous than I was as a child.  I love the memory of a trip I took with my family and some friends to Jamaica a few Christmases ago.  While there we visited an eclectic restaurant on a cliff by the ocean called Rick's Cafe.  Just the day before, my brother had gone there and jumped off the 30 foot cliff adjacent to the restaurant.  "Okay" I thought, "there's no way I'm going to leave this country letting Clay have done it and not doing it myself."  So I marched my little self right on up there, and my awesome bro cheered me on as I made the leap.  Did I mention that it took me forever to talk myself into jumping?  It's the act of letting your feet leave the edge that counts.

Thinking back on moments like that, I'm tempted to pat myself on the back and deem myself a little daredevil.  The truth of the matter, however, is that I play it far too safe and far too often.  One verse that inspires me hangs on the wall of my apartment.  I love the reminder of Joshua 1:9.

 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.  

Jumping off a legitimate cliff in Jamaica is perhaps a bit frightening, but it's completely doable.  Scary but not really something to stop traffic.  Taking the leaps in life and following God's direction is a whole other story.  Have you ever had one of those days where you go to church and you're sitting there listening to the message and you realize that God was speaking so directly to you through it?  It's awesome....and it was me today.  One of the pastors at church bravely spoke about following God in all circumstances and trusting His guidance even when it's incredibly difficult or scary.  Every day I understand more and more that it's not my job to figure out where I'm going or what I need to be doing tomorrow, next week, or next year.  Better yet, it's certainly not my role to be meek, complacent, and afraid.  No, I am called to be strong and courageous!  I am to be thankful for each day that God has given me to live this life and to let Him lead me through it.  I can't say I'm particularly great at that on most days, but I'm human and I love Him and I'm letting Him work on me through it.  Knowing that my God will be with me wherever I go, I'm pretty excited for the adventures that He could reveal in my life....but only if I let Him.  "Better safe than sorry!" they say.  I beg to differ.  I know I'd truly be sorry to miss the chance to claim my role in God's great works and plans.  Where are you being called to be more courageous for Christ?  Join me in this challenge and opportunity to trust Him more deeply every single day.  Don't miss the chance to take a leap of faith.