Seasons of Life

I am the little flower
From the garden down the street
I'm pleased when it is Springtime
And the sunshine is so sweet

I am the darling flower
Providing for the bees
I greatly enjoy Summer
With shade and gentle breeze

I am the sturdy flower
I may seem a bit demure
For with the chill Autumn
My soul begins to stir

I am the faded flower
Though I'm here, it seems I'm gone
But there can be a peace in Winter
Like the dark before the dawn

Risky Business

I wanted to escape
The spot where I felt stuck
So I dove into the water
While others wished me luck
They did not try to stop me
I knew not where I'd go
But since I had uprooted
I missed the chance to grow

Risk is the possibility of suffering harm or loss. I have often considered myself one who does not take risks. I do not go down stairs without holding the handrail (except the time I sledded down on my face). I wait for the appropriate signal before proceeding on a crosswalk at an intersection. I wear sunblock if I'm going to be outdoors for any length of time. I wash my hands after handling money, lest I be exposed to a virus. I unplug my older small appliances before leaving for a vacation. I lock my doors at night ... okay, I just read back over the last few sentences and I protest your thoughts of OCD! No, really, I'm just cautious! Anyway, you can see why I would not consider myself a risk-taker; yet God has been gradually revealing the contrary to me in a variety of ways.

What God has been showing me is that I have, indeed, taken risks in my life. What you need to understand about me is that when I love someone, I love them with my whole heart and do not attempt to hold anything back. This brings me to several thoughts:

• First, I ask this of myself: Why do I not attempt to hold anything back when loving another person, yet I try to hide parts of my heart and soul from my Maker, the One that knows me better than I know myself? I'm sure it is shame of sin, yet I should remember God sees me as He created me AND covered by the beautiful blood of Jesus. Besides, I am only fooling myself if I believe that I can truly hide anything from Him! [Jeremiah 23:24]
  

• Secondly, there is a downside on earth to the risk of loving fully and exposing one's heart and soul because, as sinners, there is a high probability of being hurt - whether it be a loss by rejection, death, or other circumstances. Trusting another person makes us vulnerable. [Psalm 118:8]
  

• Then there is the flip-side that loving fully and exposing one's heart and soul is a risk that carries great reward at times. As sinners, we have a difficult time purely receiving the love of God here on earth, and so often compare it (consciously or not) to our earthly relationships to attempt to understand it. There is reward, however, even here on earth of loving like that because it is as close as humanly possible to understanding the extent of God's love for us by receiving love back from another when it is unconditional, similar to the love of a parent for a child [Isaiah 66:13]. The rewards in Heaven will be actually experiencing the full extent of God's love for us without the obstacle of sin.
  

• Lastly, we are called to die to ourselves daily, take up our cross and follow Him [Matthew 16:24-25]. While that may seem risky from an earthly standpoint, it is not risky if we take the perspective that handing ourselves over to the Lord means handing over our burdens, our cares, our hurts, and our worries; and gaining the peace and comfort of the Holy Spirit, and eternity with Him. Plus, "If God be for us, who can be against us?" [Romans 8:31]. I would definitely consider that a benefit!
  

We are created in the image of Christ. We are called to love God first, then love others here in the way that Jesus set the example for us [I Peter 4:8]. Jesus took the biggest risk of all by paying our debt on the cross, knowing full well that there will be people who reject Him despite His relentless pursuit of their hearts. Aren't we to follow His example?