Seth’s World View

“Gail Sheehy illuminated the rewards of risk-taking in her book Pathfinders. Sheehy began her research looking for the secrets of truly contented people. She wondered what made these people feel such as sense of well-being. Sheehy learned that “people of high well-being” shared just a few traits, and this was one:

They all had taken an enormous risk.”

I think Gail is correct. The message I’ve often heard is: have faith that it will happen some time, sit back and enjoy life, and don’t act on the faith. I think there’s some truth in walking as if God will answer a prayer and not worrying about it. However, sometimes we need to take a step of faith ‘towards something’ for God to answer the prayer. My current contentment is the result of heavy wrestling with myself, with others by being vulnerable with them, and increased accountability. More people know my struggles now, and I’m still being loved by people anyway. I’ve experienced plenty of turmoil where I don’t know the answer, where I feel hopeless, and insist on walking the path alone. Do I believe there is a point in trying? Will people love me if they know how much I don’t have it together and I tell them? With a foundation of hope, my wrestling and pursuit ar e going somewhere, and I’m finding life I wouldn’t have found if I didn’t try.

Enjoying the walk has it’s challenges. It means choosing paths that don’t seem pleasant. It means weathering the storms. Yes, enjoy the walk, whether the walk is kind to us or not, even when we stumble and can’t go on, believing and hoping the path leads somewhere, and that there is sunshine. But really, to enjoy the unpleasant walks is the real goal, to enjoy the paths we tread. And to continue enjoying the walk, we have to go forward when we don’t know what’s going on, when we don’t have the answers, and know when to take those steps of faith. Moreover, to really enjoy the walk, I think we need to walk with others, and their faces may change, but we are not on this walk alone.

Sometimes we as Christians are encouraged to be careful, not to make mistakes, do the right thing, wait for the right time, etc. Sometimes this is indicative of wisdom. And sometimes it’s a ‘play it safe mentality’ void of faith that expects everything to be handed to us on a silver platter if we do everything right. I don’t think God will always answer what we step out in faith for, but I see how He is giving me life and growing me as I step out in faith more, and take more risks, and I feel like I’m finally getting it. Not that I’ll get it all, but getting it enough to stop going in circles, up and down.

Yes, I’m prone to over analysis, to which one of my friends have said to act and stop analyzing. I’ve strived, but have I hoped? How easily do I give up my striving? Often, I think I haven’t really hoped enough to keep going, and so I strive in a defeated manner, going on, but not really believing the striving will get me anywhere. The striving has to move to acting in faith, and pursuing those things my heart longs for. And you know, while there are still some points of anxiety, I’m seeing possibilities, and I’m now ready to pursue a girl more than ever, and I am now pursuing community, and will be leading a small group at my church to help create community. And all in all, I am more than I’ve ever been, and I really am different this time around. And I don’t know fully why this time, but I have real hope, and every week, I find more to give me faith and hope and am ecstatic at how God is now working in me.