No Risk, No Fun

Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.

It was a warm, sunny day as we stood on a gently curving path leading us toward the Sedona Red Rocks. Approaching the base of Bell Rock, we spied tiny, ant-sized people standing at the tippy-top after hiking a winding, twisty path that was too near a cliff edge for my comfort. My eight-year-old daughter, Lizzie, turned to us with excitement in her voice, asking if she couldn’t pretty please climb to the top. Then she ran ahead to catch up with Grandma and Grandpa as they pointed out a small lizard.

Aaron and I started quietly discussing her request. We strolled as we talked, and as I drew near to Lizzie, I heard her softly mutter the following to herself over and over:

“No risk, no fun. No risk, no fun. No risk, no fun.”

My momma’s heart stuttered momentarily as I realized yet again that my daughter’s love of adventure colors how she sees the world in a way that sometimes makes me a little nervous. In the years since that day, I’ve returned to her words, processing that sentiment as it pertains to my faith journey.

Trusting God can feel risky. Jesus was countercultural, and we’re to be the same. He asks us to be generous when the world tells us to cling tightly to all we can, and he requires us to love when we’re encouraged to dismiss those who disagree with us.

God is good, and he sees the big picture while we see as though through a cloudy, murky mirror. And he often invites us to walk what feels like narrow, twisting paths instead of the broad avenues strolled by so many others.

I’m learning there is a joy to be found in risky obedience and that following doggedly in Jesus’ steps often results in unexpected delights. Besides, who wants a boring, ordinary existence when God invites us on the grand adventure of a lifetime?

Julie

Today’s Act of Gratitude

Share with a friend about two or three times Jesus asked you to step out of your comfort zone (and the results), and ask her to share a few stories of her own. Thank God even as you trust him with the next adventure he is inviting you on.