Calculated Risk

This one was inspired by a conversation I had with my roommate, David earlier this morning.  He and I have been blessed with opportunities to do some bucket-list-worthy things in our lives, none of which have come to pass without the opposition from someone or something.  We laughed over how we both have heard the same sort of things from people: "don't do that, it's too dangerous," or "that is not a safe country to visit," and less often "that's just stupid."  Then we both agreed that we would rather die, living than die wishing we did more.

It is true that there are plenty of dumb things that people have done either in the name of adrenaline or of faith.  Generally, those things involve unnecessary risk or simply an unhealthy dose of sheer stupidity.  However, in order to live life we have to be comfortable with taking some risks; calculated risks.  That goes for school, business, and commuting just as much as travel, adventure, or extreme sports.  When David or I set out to travel, harness up, tighten our boots, or pack our backpacks we prepare for as much as we can, but recognize that we cannot prepare for everything.  And that's okay, because to us experiencing the culture of another people, the thrill of climbing the face of a cliff, or the beauty of God's creation, is worth the chance that it could be our last experience.  That doesn't mean we don't do everything in our power to assure that we come home safely.

The reality is, there is just as much risk at home as there is away from home.  The only major difference is the level of comfort we have with our surroundings.  When living in Costa Rica, I was told to watch out for people trying to pick my pocket or snatch my bag, because I and the other Americans were more of a target than the locals.  But the same risk is present when I am in downtown Portland, or Seattle, or any city for that matter.  It's just a good idea to be on your guard, and play it smart no matter where you are.  By doing so, you eliminate a decent amount of the risk involved; never can you eliminate all of it.

David told me a story from one of his friends who was a missionary kid in Africa for a number of years.  I guess safety was a main concern for the missionary families who lived over there, though his friend was one of the lucky ones whose parents allotted more freedoms than the others.  The mother of one of the families had all she could take living in fear of potential danger, namely poisonous snakes that she took her family back to the States, where they could be safe.  A short time after settling into a home in Arizona, their boy crawled under their porch and got bit by a poisonous snake.  As his father got him in the car and was backing out of the driveway he ran into his daughter, but in his panic did not realize it until later that day when he found her dead.  The boy didn't make it either.  Three weeks later the mother died because of the grief she faced.

We have just as good of a chance of encountering death here at home as we do on a journey.  Since that is the case, I would much rather risk death while on a journey and making the most of my life than to die living in fear, trying to protect myself with a false sense of security.  I encourage you to do the same.

In the end, it's not the years in your life that count.  It's the life in your years. —Abraham Lincoln