The crawl below the TV news read "College Station woman aims at skunk, shoots husband." This bizarre statement seems to be a cross between some kind of Aggie (Texas A&M) joke and a National Enquirer headline. Turns out, a woman aimed a shotgun at a skunk in her house (did she think about what the result would smell like?) and missed. The bullet ricocheted through the screen door and lodged in her lounge chair resting husband's stomach. He's okay.
How many times did you think you were doing the right thing only to have it go horribly wrong AND, in hindsight, may not have been that great of an idea in the first place? For me, more times than I can count.
Too often, Christians give off an air of "You better not mess up, God is watching and you'll go to Hell." That is a prescription for fear and inaction. And, it's not true.
Jesus tells a story of people who were given money to leverage through investment. Two did so and returned principle and interest. The asset owner was pleased. One hid the money and kept it safe to return. The owner was mad. A return on the investment was expected. I think the owner would have been happier if the third person invested as best as she thought and lost it all. Risk was where faith is found and leveraged. Certainty needs no faith and leads to death.
If the Cross and Resurrection (you cannot separate them) tell us anything; it is this. God has made allowances for mistakes; planned, ill-advised or otherwise. Take what you have been given. Put it to use. Risk it. If it stinks, say you are sorry. Try again. If it smells like a rose, give God some credit.
What risks will you take today for God?
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