A New Year is about to begin. As I look back at this past year, I am reminded of my own growth stages. These occurred most when life proved more difficult.
This reminds me of the gospel story of the disciples out on the sea of Galilee during a raging storm, and suddenly they see Jesus coming towards them walking across the water. I've always thought of that as "a little miracle, Jesus walking on water."
But as I reflect back on my year, I see this story not just "Jesus performing a miracle." It is Jesus being where he did not want to be. If I think about it, the one place Jesus probably did not want to be that evening was in the midst of a raging storm on the Sea of Galilee. And yet, that is where he went, to meet up with his disciples, who were terrified because they thought he was a ghost. Talk about life not going as you might like....
During this past year, I have had my share of life "not going as you might like." Looking back, I can see how growth came from meeting the challenges of those times. And some of those times only came because of my choice to take a 'risk,' sort of like my own version of going out in the storm to "walk on water".
As I approach this new year, 2016, I continue to ask myself, what risks am I willing to take to reach my dream or to challenge my own self?
Do I walk into storms that I need to walk into?
Or do I stand on shore, convincing myself that it is better to be safe?
