Risk

In his latest book, John Piper says of the church, "If our single, all-embracing passion is to make much of Christ in life and death, and if the life that magnifies him most is the life of costly love, then life is risk, and risk is right. To run from it is to waste your life."

When we were 29, it was seen as normal and wise to risk our credit and livelihood to be in debt up to our eyeballs!  We had a lot to 'show' for ourselves- a nice home, brand new cars, boat, atvs, land, investment property, etc.  Life was good!  But it was leveraged, and boy was it risky!  Yet we didn't view it as risk...we saw it as pursuing the American dream and giving our kids a good life!  It's peculiar that we were willing to take risks when it got us something that we deemed worthy- toys and comfort, excess and luxury.  And now, the risks before us feel huge, even though the payoff is finally something of eternal value!  Surely the unreached people who, without being told about Jesus, will never have the opportunity to know Him are worth any risk.  Leaving behind the house, the cars and the comfort can be seen as unwise, crazy or naive, and yet we walk forward with a smile because we know that God has called us to...  

I try to find a good balance between the emotions I feel amidst the uncertainty and potential discomfort that lies ahead (the temp in the capital city was 107 today), and the gratitude that I feel in response to being given a task and an army of brothers and sisters to go forward with.  We have been blessed with a cheering section of fellow believers and an All powerful God leading the way to peace, redemption and light in a dark place.