Playin it safe

Wow. It's been too long since my last post. I need to get back into this.

I was riding Hot Magma (my bike) just yesterday when I remembered something that God revealed to me a couple summers ago. It is really easy to play it safe with people. Always talking about sports or the weather or hobbies or the latest episode of The Office or classes or work or upcoming vacation plans. The simple reminder was that I need to be watchful that I don't fall into the safe talk trap. If there was ever a man who didn't play it safe when talking to others, it was Jesus and if I'm trying to follow him, I better remember that. Jesus was always subverting the expectations that people had of what a Jewish "religious leader" should have been saying. As Paul said, we are the "stench of death" to some and the "fragrance of life" to others. But how potent is the odor that I am emitting? Do people feel loved by my words? Challenged? Encouraged? Motivated? Stretched? Accepted? Or, do they just feel, well, ordinary after we finish talking?

I have so far to go.