Risk… we have a rule at our house that was implemented kind of as a joke years ago, but it has stuck. Rule 327, “No dying or hospital visits, unless it’s a good story”. I now have spread that rule to the students in the classrooms I sub in. They ponder it and then seriously set about finding scenarios that would make death or a hospital visit acceptable on my watch. They are very creative, I’ll give them that. Instead of telling my kids to always be careful, I wanted them to weigh the risk.
Life without risk, is there such a thing? Loving people, living, serving all contain some element of risk. Without risk, life becomes very small and you have to squeeze it super tight to control. There have been times were risk free living has been tempting, but God invites us into His story were there is always risk.
I think of Abraham being inviting to leave the land that he knows for the land that God will show him… risk…
Moses going back to Egypt and to tell Pharaoh to let God’s people go… risk…
Esther going into the king to plead for her people… risk…
Daniel saying no to praying to the king… risk…
Jesus leaving heaven to live among his creation… huge risk ending in death, but overcome to show us the risk is worth it…
Stephen, Peter, James, John, Paul… Francis of Assisi,William Tyndale… so many throughout history who risked all for the greater story. Hebrews is full of stories of men and women who risked it all for the future hope… history is scattered with others who joined this cloud of witnesses. Anything less would be short changing what God has invited us to. We would miss living the abundant life. So if we must risk, may it be a good story worth living and repeating.
Inkblot Life 
If I had a dime or two
for the times when courage didn’t pay,
for the times I faced my Waterloo
and the times I gave it all away,
why I’d be richer than a king
and could buy the moon and sun
and live in space, but here’s the thing,
it really wouldn’t be much fun
for all the things I thought I lost
looked only thus through mine own eyes,
and thought I thought it heavy cost
comes at last the great surprise
that looking to the past I see
that in failure there is victory.
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