Life. No one gets out alive—at least on the physical level. And we can choose a life of safety and little change like the moon, or go out early in a meteor’s blaze of glory. But most of us live in between, so how do we maximize the time we have in a manner that makes God smile?
Balanced Risks
5/2/2021
Ron rode safely
at his wife’s request
full-face helmet
insulated from the smells and wind in his face
full body armor in jacket and pants
walking like Iron Man
gauntlet gloves
in a SoCal summer
I saw his sweat
when we stopped for gas
he tried to smile
yet rode just a year
sold his bike at a loss
the drive for safety draining the joy of riding
Cal used his crotch rocket
as the engineers designed
a powerful bike that nearly flew
Levis’ and a T shirt and half helmet
bragging at the bar
about breaking 150
on the curvy Sierra mountain road
later, a smile graced his face
as he pushed it to 160
hit a small pebble
and tumbled and flew and hugged a tree
I saw him two years later
limping with one decent leg
a limp arm at his side
as he loaded another crashed bike
onto the bed of his tow truck
grimacing in unspoken pain
shamefully telling us of how
he used to ride
And still I ride
My previous bike was the ST1300 above, and I rode it like a sport bike. Until my balance and reactions slowed down at 71, and I went to the less tempting Goldwing. Continuing with the ST would have increased the risk of getting hurt—badly, yet I ride as worship and can’t give it up unless necessary. So still I ride—more wisely. Balancing risk.
Paul the apostle traveled the world to tell people about Jesus, taking risks and never backing off. Sometimes left for dead. Sometimes sneaking out of town in the dark to stay alive. Balancing risks. True to his calling, yet wisely doing what he could to continue with it.
We all vary in our level of risk acceptance, and that’s fine. But are we willing to risk to serve God and/or enjoy life? How much? How do we calculate the risk/reward ratio? I have no answers, just an encouragement to think about this. Pray about this. Maybe you need to increase your risks. Maybe decrease them. But I suspect, as you ponder this, you’ll start to come to grips with your priorities. Have fun in doing that!
Kick Starting the Application
Do you lean risk-averse or risk-embracing? Have you deliberately examined what risks you choose or reject taking God into account? What priorities seem to emerge as you consider balancing risks?