Lately “change” and “risk taking” have been at the forefront of my thinking for a number of reasons. First, I came across this Queenstown, New Zealand Bungee jump pic, taken on one of our sojourns down there. Thinking about going back and making that jump on my 77th birthday.
Second, I’ve been working on an upcoming issue for the “Journal of Aggressive Christianity” (JAC) titled, “Charge! Looking Back. Facing Forward: 5 Wise Words of Counsel,” and my contribution (Charge!) involves these two factors – “Were I doing it over, I would be bolder in my approach toward soul saving/evangelism and I would most definitely take more risks” – It’ll be out August 1 over at www.armybarmy.com. The entire issue a must read for present and future leaders.
Third, Commissioner Jim Knaggs recently wrote a little piece on “Change” in his online column, “TCSpeak.” (http://tcspeak.com/blog/2010/07/27/things-change/). Not only does he write on the subject, he’s setting the pace for us. Check it out and make it a habit to follow his writings regularly.
Fourth, in the August edition of “Reader’s Digest” there’s an article, “Life as a Daredevil” featuring Captain Linda Greenlaw, whose life is portrayed in the film, “The Perfect Storm.” She writes, in part, “So what’s the real risk? For me, it’s not about imperiling life and limb for the glory of surviving. What I risk continually, what I fear most, is failure, which I define as passivity…A mentor once told me that those who do nothing never make mistakes. I make a lot of mistakes. To my mind, that is preferable to playing it safe.”
Finally, in the midst of this thinking, I chanced upon a “Slightly Irregular” post written back in October 2006: http://joenoland.blogspot.com/2006/10/deep-change.html. “My risk taking paled in comparison to the risks that Jesus took.” He was the quintessential risk taker and change agent, every risk taken for the right reasons (Don’t think Bungee Jumping would be high on His priority list).
Read the links highlighted above and follow their counsel. I dare you!
JN
