Going For Broke

This past weekend I had the long-awaited opportunity to take off and get away from it all! Leaving work, school, church, friends, home, and the city behind, I made the 2-plus hour trek over to the west coast to the beautiful Sanibel Island. Well, it turned out to be about 3 1/2 hours since I got lost along the way; assuming an additional 40 miles off the intended path. Needless to say, I was determined to make the best of my vacation. So what if Everglades City was not a part of my original destination? At least I now know where it is located. No sooner had we arrived at our resting place, we jumped right back into my car to start the long anticipated adventure. Our first stop was at the famous Traders restaurant, where I partook in a scrumptious entree topped off with creme brulee. Who had time to consider counting calories? After-all, it was my birthday weekend!

Day two saw us hitting the beach for a day of fun and relaxation. Though it hadn’t crossed my mind initially, when I arrived onsite I discovered I had the exciting opportunity of going para-sailing. One thing you should know about me is that I can be extremely analytical and to be quite frank, just plain anal, especially when the issue of safety crops up. My mind literally goes into overdrive. What if the rope connecting us to the boat isn’t safely anchored to the parachute? What if my harness is too large or too small? What if the harness begins to unravel? What if the metal hooks come unhooked? What if I fall out of my harness? What if, what if, what if? I could have fallen prey to that doldrum conversation in my mind, which often happens, but right in that moment, I made a decision. I decided to throw off all restraints and simply go for broke! I thought, here I have the chance of doing something I had never done, to make my own personal history as it were. Impulsive?, yes. But equally adventurous and exciting. Besides, how often does one get an opportunity to earn bragging rights among friends?

The experience was new, different, scary, and exhilarating all at once, and in the end I was happy that I did it. I am reminded of those other times when I made the decision to go for broke. Like the moment I made the decision 18 years ago to leave my family, my home and my country with very little money in hand, to attend school on a whole other continent and in a location where I knew absolutely no one. Like the moment I made the decision to apply for a job with an organization I really had no hope of getting into, barring the favor of God. Like the moment I decided to go back to school to pursue another field of study that could be considered the antithesis of what I am at present connected to.

A risk taker or dare-devil you might say? On the contrary. What it is and has always been instead is a steady reliance and trust in the Master Designer and Manufacturer of my life, The Lord Jesus Christ. Taking Him at His words concerning His promises to me; that His plans are to prosper me and to give me an expected end. Believing Him when He says He will never leave me nor forsake me, that He will be with me until the end of the world. And looking to Him exclusively to direct my path as I perpetually posture myself before Him in acknowledgement of all that I intend on doing. With this approach, who has time to mule over the possibility of failure?

How about you? Where do you stand? Holding back on moving forward or getting involved or simply going for broke for fear of failure or loss? Here is the simple truth and quite frankly the solution to your dilemma. You can only be blessed and have peace and complete rest when you make the decision (first) to give yourself over to the Master Designer, totally and completely. This is where it all begins. What are you waiting for?