What do you do when you are shaken all the way down to your foundations?
“Be careful.”
“Be safe.”
“Be vigilant.”
“Be smart.”
Have you ever been on the receiving end of those instructions? How about the sending end?
And then something happens.
You’ve been careful, safe, vigilant, and smart—and tragedy strikes anyway.
And you realize that security is a mirage.
I’ve been reading a book over the past few days that I picked up in a delightful coffee shop in Cisco, Texas. “Waverly’s: The Story of a Family, Faith, and a Coffee Shop” is a story of how one family found—through tragedy—the life they were meant to live.
I’m also praying for dear friends whose lives have been shaken to the core through unexplainable tragedy this weekend.
Two things occur to me this morning.
One is that we must not try to rob anyone of their grief. People don’t need a way OUT, they need support THROUGH.
We must not try to rob anyone of their grief. People don’t need a way OUT, they need support THROUGH. Click To Tweet
“Everything happens for a reason” is one of the absolute worst things we can say to someone whose life has been struck by tragedy.
Want to know what we should say?
As little as possible.
“I love you and I’m praying for you” is a good starting place—and sometimes a good stopping place.
The second thing that occurs to me is that safe, careful, vigilant, and smart are not bad things—they are just inferior goals.
It’s a good idea to drive safely, but shouldn’t safe driving support the goal of enjoying the journey and arriving at a destination worth pursuing?
I just wonder how many people, at the end of life, have said, “I wish I had been more cautious.”
“Life is too short to chase the lure of security.” – Sean Grose (coffee shop owner and author of Waverly’s).
Once upon a time, I tossed out a little phrase as an afterthought: “Go and be amazing.”
I had no idea that phrase would become the theme of my life and my ultimate pursuit. My life’s calling is helping willing explorers discover the uniquely amazing lives they were meant to live.
Security lures us into the empty mirage of fear-based existence.
Security lures us into the empty mirage of fear-based existence. Click To Tweet
Amazing invites us into living “all in.”
Several times a week, I write short encouraging thoughts to a private Facebook group.
The reason I call these posts (and the group) “Dr. G’s Morning Cup of Encouragement” is because the word “encourage” means “to give courage.”
There’s not much courage needed to chase security.
So, there’s not much chance of this morphing into “Dr. G’s Tips for Arriving Unscathed.”
Once a week, I write this post.
The reason I call it “Life Matters” is because I am absolutely convinced that our lives matter to God and He has invited each of us into an amazing journey with Him.
There’s not much chance of this morphing into “Life Happens—be careful out there.”
Question: How is the lure of security hindering your ability to live “all in.”
Be amazing today, my friend.
